A dented chassis for what otherwise has a solid engine, Monster Energy Supercross 6 makes some adjustments to accommodate newcomers, but if you played others before, you’ve most likely already played this one. There’s a decent physics-based racer here, just the presentation doesn’t cross the finish line.

God of Rock has flashy, entertaining visuals with a thematic flair. While its style and level editor excel, the rhythm gameplay and fighting mechanics feel shoe-horned together, creating a clunky and messy whole. The music is great and the idea could work, but this isn’t the rock-charged moshpit that it promised to be.

Another disappointing and short addition to the wonderful Jurassic World Evolution 2, this movie tie-in content is rapidly exposed as bare-bones and dinosaur feed. The new mechanics are tedious, requiring more of the gameplay least enjoyed in the base games, while the admission fee to this additional park ride simply isn’t worth it unless you’re a hardcore fan.

Mr. Prepper doesn’t turn out to be the nuclear catastrophe it initially convinces you it will be. It survives the radioactive onslaught by the skin of it’s dank, burrowed out teeth. There’s something strange in this that can be recommended, but only to those who have a penchant for the suvivalist, resource-management genre. For everyone else, the threat of impending destruction on the surface is likely more preferable to the solitude and depression of the bunker.

In attempting to land another visceral knockout blow, Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns instead Johnny Cage uppercuts itself right in the nads. The underwhelming story chapters undercut the climactic finale of the vanilla campaign, while the new roster is comprised of welcome returning characters, or the uncertain potential of three unique icons. For the price of half a full game, Khaos Reigns doesn't have the substance to hold this timeline afloat.

Achilles: Legends Untold is a disappointing game more for the missed potential and flawed execution of some great ideas. Combat quickly becomes tedious, the story is poorly delivered and though it has moments where it shines, they’re bogged down like the souls dwelling in the Styx. Achilles doesn’t need his heel to stumble from greatness in this case.

City Eye is a surveillance simulation game that has an interesting concept but disappoints in many areas. From bottlenecking progress in late stages by padding the game unnecessarily to repetitive mechanics and a lack of variety, the game fails to capitalise on an interesting premise. You’ll find yourself less likely to be fighting crime, and more likely to be waiting for them to happen.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy attempts a number of ambitious stealth-action components but fails to come out from the shadows with basically any of them intact. A predictable story, underwhelming level design and more bugs than a forest log blunt this assassin’s blade. If Ayana’s journey is the first step in mastering the darkness, I hope a sequel can turn off the blinding lights.

It has suffered in the porting process from PC to PS4/PS5 but Trenches is still worth an hour of your time if you’re into jump-scare heavy horrors. By combining supernatural scares with the real horrors of trench warfare, it can certainly be unsettling at times. It’s a shame the bugs and quality issues can be equally as unsettling.

It’s fun on a basic level, but Bloody Rally Show doesn’t offer much depth after a fashion. The story holding it together is flimsy, as is the wonkiness with randomly generated tracks. However, for those that little simple visuals and lots of customisation, this cheap little racer will suffice.

In reality, Crymachina is a far cry from what it could have been. An overly constrained mission structure of bland corridors, flashy combat that never reaches above button smashing, and a nauseating cliché story that rarely does more than constant exposition, hold back this action RPG from any kind of recommendation.

Although the core game is enjoyable and the stories it can generate will leave lasting memories, Blood Bowl 3 has a lot of problems. For Blood Bowl fanatics interested in PvP, there is fun to be had here, but for the more casual player who likes to play against the AI, it’s a really hard sell. With a few changes and improvements, the game could be a great one, but for now it is a bit of a fumbled attempt at a touchdown.

With its anime-trope-filled story, and starkly unbalanced combat and upgrades, Metal Unit is a passable roguelite in a genre where there are far better options.

What’s good about Black Legend is very good. The gloomy atmosphere and the novel turn-based combat based on 17th century medicine are well designed and smartly implemented. Everything else about this game is either bland, rough around the edges or straight up poor. Diehard fans of turn based strategy games that can overlook the issues will still get something from Black Legend. For everyone else, there are better alternatives.

It manages to strike a unique tone by blending Arthurian legends with the mystery of the Jack The Ripper murders, but Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey struggles to stand out due to a lack of thought provoking puzzles, painfully slow movement speed and a lack of polish.

Initially, Timothy vs the Aliens appeals with its funky aesthetic and take on the noir/vibrancy crossover trope. Yet that soon wears thin and you’re stuck with an at-times frustrating and extremely bland platform/shooter after a while. However, if old school frustration and cheap games are your bag, this will entertain for a few hours.

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.

PopSlinger is ambitiously flawed but endearing nonetheless. The lack of accessibility options paired with awkward and clunky gameplay dampens the otherwise inoffensive experience, but it’s a quick jaunt into nostalgia and has a great albeit small soundtrack.

Its issues mean that Rover Mechanic Simulator is a middling experience. There’s a solid core to this game surrounding some impressive 3D rover models. It offers that methodical game play that accommodates gratifying ‘flow state’ sessions to really get engrossed in. It gets repetitive quickly though because of clunky controls, limited depth and a lack of personality.

As one of the most unique video games and individually arresting visual styles I’ve come across this year, Chaotic Era comes unstuck thanks to its abstract approach to gameplay systems, poor performance problems and a lack clear, functioning mechanics. In these times of chaos, there’s only so much obscurity that can be tolerated, before it just becomes a dysfunctional era.

MythForce doesn’t quite entice you to tune in to next week’s episode as the game has a lot of quality-of-life issues to contend with. There’s a big emphasis on co-op with it’s balancing of mechanics and cool team compositions, without the facilities to oblige – making it a slow and painful grind if you want to get anywhere on your own. It delivers on the aesthetic it goes for and the moment-to-moment gameplay is simply fun, but it’s not quite enough to make it out of a pilot episode.

Dark and Deep produces an eerily stylish darkness thanks to the art direction of Gustave Doré and threads of narrative that threaten an engaging tale. Unfortunately, it becomes consumed in its own deep dark, owing to labourious mechanics, disjointed pacing and frustrating puzzles. There’s a glimmer of light in this heart of darkness, but you’ll struggle to find it.

Controlling like a more leisurely-paced Geometry Wars, Sparkle 4 Tales is a languid affair which could have used a little more focus and drive to make it something you’ll want to stick with until the end. As it is, it’s an aesthetically pleasant experience that I struggled to care about after the first thirty minutes.

More of a restful afternoon doze than a full blooded nightmare ridden REM sleep, Skyward Dream is a middling experience that's short and ultimately fine. The parkour and story elements, while initially intriguing, lack any real substance, leaving this a rest that's functional, though not refreshing.

Ageless is a passable but uninspired platformer, that copies aspects from the best, only forgetting to copy the polished and fun gameplay. That is a tale as old as time.

It’s hard not to admire the goal of Clash Force. Releasing a Mega Man inspired shooter in 2020, even sticking to the 4:3 aspect ratio and adorning the wide screen sides with images of the main characters, is bold. This game is obviously a labour of love for Spicy Gyro Games. That said, compared to it’s peers in an era when we have retro inspired titles that are actually pushing the genre forward, it doesn’t do enough to look anything other than a pale imitation of the original’s its trying to emulate.

While there are positives, EDENGATE: The Edge of Life feels either poorly planned out or unfinished. The narrative is disjointed and confused, the puzzles are simplistic and there are a few too many frustrations with the game play. There was potential here, but it feels unfulfilled in most facets of the game.

Gods Will Fall should have been so much more fun. An average action-adventure with a few roguelike elements, it’s combat is both fiddly and too simplistic to engage. Its Gods fail to inspire, and its world lacks tangible reward, while hurting the player with its high-stakes warrior loss mechanic.