The game is a simple yet effective open-world exploration game that focuses on quality over quantity. The story doesn’t quite land for me and the cast is so big they became forgettable, but there’s an undeniable amount of charm present in it all. Caravan SandWitch respects your time above all else whilst catering to your 100%ing needs and I wish more games would follow suit. If a low-stakes open-world game is what you’re after this year, then Caravan SandWitch is a pretty good one to check out.

Hollowbody handles the core staples of a great survival horror experience with ease. Suffocating atmosphere, tense ammo management and punishing enemies make for a thrilling if unsettling experience. While it lacks depth in enemy variety and its engrossing stories feel slightly too brief, this a psychological thriller that’ll have you running for your life, yet coming back for more. Silent Hill 2 remake’s foggy town looms on the horizon, but Hollowbody’s tech-noir Exclusion Zone may be more competition than it bargained for.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is too little, too late. Instead of innovating, it instead takes ideas already popularised and doesn't even pull them off properly. Lacklustre visuals and a flat future aesthetic don't do anything to bolster its chances, not when better contemporaries are available.

Perennial Order makes bold design choices to create a fantastic world with great ideas but not without some flawed execution. If you love bleak eldritch horrors with a side salad of creative boss fights then you may just enjoy this, even if there's a few weeds in the gameplay.

Vampire Survivors delivers on exactly why it’s an addictive rougelite with near-perfect execution. Incredibly easy to pick up, even easier to get lost in and a well of secrets to keep you playing. It doesn’t offer too much variety with its gameplay but you’ll barely notice as the flashing lights of weapon upgrades and coins enamour you.

Despite some technical issues at launch, Arco is nothing short of a masterpiece. An epic on all fronts, from its captivating story and thrilling tactical style combat. This one is not to miss.

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.

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!

Supermassive is back and teaming up with one of the biggest franchises in asymmetrical horror, Dead by Daylight. Whilst the visuals and sound, among collecting the odd Easter Egg provide the biggest highlights from the game. The storyline is a very slow burn, not worth the end-game final reveal. Although Frank Stone will be an exciting addition to Dead by Daylight, his standalone tale is overshadowed by long drawn out backstory and lackluster excitement.

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.

A Metroidvania for newcomers and veterans, Crypt Custodian does so much to be a well-paced journey. Frenetic battles, engaging secrets and a cute cast to cry over make the game’s less polished elements an afterthought.

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.

There’s a bit of a learning curve with House of Golf 2 which takes away some of the ‘pick up and play’ elements of other titles in the genre, but there’s some good course design and it’s fun to find the shortcuts hidden around them. There’s nothing here that will challenge the golf titans in gaming, but there’s plenty to discover if you’re willing to give it the time.

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.

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.

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.

Whilst Aspyr have tried, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is unfortunately too much of a relic to polish up to today’s standards. Jango Fett’s story may be a decent one, but not at the price of retreading mid-ground nostalgia.

A major update to Atlas Fallen, Reign of Sand brings a tight narrative focus and voice acting that reworks what existed into a really enjoyable AA adventure. Sliding through the dunes on your quest to find the Knights and overthrow a god is made all the more fun with a great powertrip of a combat system. Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is the Definitive Edition and I’m so glad the developers gave it the overhaul it deserved.

With the foundations of Arcade Paradise well and truly intact and even some subtle improvements to the game’s economy, the VR experience elevates many aspects of the base game. However, with some difficulty in its controls, some jarring flat screen moments and a few bugs this isn’t quite the new way to play.

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.

While not bound for the embrace of death owing to its unique party system and visual flair, Deathbound struggles to stave off the reaper’s scythe thanks to technical issues, poorly told stories and unbalanced though otherwise competent gameplay. It may scratch the Soulslike itch for some, but whether you’d reanimate the souls of the damned for a longer crusade, only the Lady of Death knows.

Empty Shell is a not-so-empty hell of a game that uses tropes of survival horror and roguelites in a distinct way. The stark presentation and despondent atmosphere of the game make for a great setting in this mish-mash of genres that is well worth checking out if you like your horrors lo-fi and full of bullets.

A vertical sci-fi shoot-em-up with sublime atmospheric graphics and some incredible encounters, Cygni is ultimately let down by its lack of identity and a sharp difficulty spike straight from the launch pad. Shunting power between shields and weapons makes for a fun mechanic, but unless you’re a shmup aficionado, it’s a hard package to recommend.

There are butts, there is a minimal amount of boxing and there’s an abundance of bare scarcity to Bare Butt Boxing. What it attempts in slapstick presentation and cartoon fun, it slips straight onto its butt with, thanks to barely passable gameplay, stifling cosmetic progression and a lack of anything to help it standout. Bare Butt Boxing might bare all, but perhaps it should cover back up.

A shooter that echoes the old school with modern sensibilities, Deadlink will scratch that roguelike itch if you let it. A little lacking in variety, hopefully time and TLC will prove us wrong on that front.

Considering the resurgence of the Turtles franchise of late. It’s disappointing to see the brand reduced to this. If Fisher-price produced a game titled ‘My First Beat-em-up, this his would probably bit it. Stick to the pixel perfection of Shredders revenge for your Turtle Time.

The Garden Path is a slice of life gardening sim that allows players sit back and enjoy the view. Whilst the art style, real time mechanics and dedication to the craft feel impressive to experience, the stop-start pace can hinder your enjoyment in its tracks. The Garden Path is perfect for anyone who needs a low commitment experience of the simulation genre, but perhaps not for those who want to get lost for hours.

If you like the Trails and Ys games, Tokyo Xanadu is Persona as if made by Falcom. That might be right up your street. On a good day, it means fun combat and likable characters, but on a bad day, it’s a painfully generic story peppered with some of the dullest corridor-crawling in the genre.