KAKU: Ancient Seal offers a great experience in a fantastic world, but certain design choices leave something to be desired.

Jackbox Party Pack 10 is a fun addition to your party game rotation, with great mini-games like Dodo Re Mi and Timejinx you are sure to have a great time! The Hypnotorious game was a miss for us.

Despite its shortcomings, SteamWorld Build is a delightful foray into the world of robot cowboys, and there’s a bit of fun to be had with the building and dungeon crawling, even if the tinge of innovation is a little muted.

The game may rely on a few too many jump scares and voice acting may feel off at times, but there's still no denying that Layers of Fears is a truly memorable and massively creepy experience.

An excellent expansion of one of history’s most prestigious franchises. Capcom have addressed the weaknesses and redesigned the combat for the next generation, and introduced a small cast of new characters who should quickly become as memorable as your Blankas and your E.Hondas of old...Street Fighter V is the best fighting game available on the PlayStation 4 and the PC, and easily surpasses what the Xbox One has to offer. Street Fighter is back on top.

As a shmup, it will provide ample challenge for everybody, but even if you find it teeth-grindingly tricky in the early goings, the high production values and the interesting framing device will keep your interest rapt.

Not the best adventure game I’ve ever played, but it’s certainly fun, well drawn and with a decent enough storyline. Fans of the genre will likely enjoy this but it probably won’t convert any new fans.

Rogue One is a brilliantly designed pinball machine and I enjoyed it so much that I'm likely to be a late arrival to the Zen Pinball series fandom. There was plenty of action on offer and I didn't find myself getting bored at any time. And I'm sorry but I have to… The force is strong with this one!

Sporting everything from a new and improved Fibbage to brand new games with new ways to play, it is actually rather impressive that each of these Party Packs continue to feature such fun games. Barring a few technical issues, I only saw minor issues in any of the games and would gladly recommend them all to friends looking for a way to entertain guests.

Aqua Kitty UDX is a robust arcade shooter with an adorable cat aesthetic. The game offers a good level of challenge and chaos to keep you on your toes. It's let down slightly by some uninspired backgrounds but offers lots of fun on the Nintendo Switch.

With perfectly crafted levels and an awesome electronic soundtrack, Vandals proves to be a great entry into the turn-based stealth genre. In many ways, it captures the sensation of what painting at night feels like.

Keeping a satisfying gameplay loop at its most energetic for as long as it possibly can, Agent Intercept’s worst sin is being just long enough that the simplicity drags the core experience down over time.

Loot River has addictive gameplay and you’ll want to play it again. However, there isn’t much story, which is a shame for the interesting world I found myself in.

A fantastic entry in the series, and fans of the franchise should definitely pick it up. RPG fans in general will also enjoy it, though it can become a little easy.

Atlas Wept should be given more love and attention with its fun gameplay and great story. Don’t be afraid to give it a whirl, you’ll never know what its world has to offer.

The Spell Brigade is just a good bullet heaven that can be enjoyed by yourself, but especially with friends. With incredible spells, tons of enemies, plenty to unlock, and potentially lots of friendly fire, I recommend giving this game a shot.

Adventures of Pip's unique mechanic makes it stand out from the rest of the platformers I've played; the game makes wonderful use of the mechanic. Challenging enough to not make it a memory platformer but also not dull, this game is sure to charm any fans of the genre.

Rune Factory 5 is a technically perfect game that meets all of its goals. Unfortunately for the player, the goals met are either not very impressive or downright uncomfortable.

Scott Pilgrim EX is just a really dumb, fun adventure through the streets of Toronto. Though it has some hiccups, you fall in lesbians with its combat, art direction, and writing.

Great part two in The Fall series, and leaves the door open just enough ready for part three. If Over the Moon continue with the improvements they’ve made to the next installment, then the trilogy should go down as a true classic of its time.

On Your Tail is a cosy detective title that lets you see the sights and make friends all while stopping thefts around a gorgeous town, and it delivers on every (sea)front. Make time for this one.

Echo Generation 2 is an excellent game that both newcomers and fans of the original should play. It’s a fun adventure through the multiverse that’s only held back by just being a little too forgiving at times.

Pacing issues, unnecessary backtracking and some frustratingly complex puzzles mar a title that is well-written and holds a lot of charm. A competent game but one that isn't quite as good as its predecessor.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a beautiful-looking and sounding game with fun team-combat, even for players who are new to the universe. There are some issues with loading times and connectivity that are sure to be patched in the future.

Apart from troubles with framerate and visual clarity, Romeo is a Dead Man is worth your time if you’ve had this game on your radar. You’ll want to kill the past over it.

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior uses a unique gameplay mechanic that has you working with clones of yourself to take down the foes that stand in your way. A compelling story and addictive gameplay make this a must-play title.

Nightmare of Decay knows exactly what it wants to be, ticking off the list of necessary survival horror requirements with ease; it’s simply a fabulous slice of retro-themed action-horror.

There is little not to love about this short and inexpensive title. From great voice acting, an intriguing story, and a free chapter to explore before you commit, if you like what you see (or hear), there is little reason not to explore it.

A beautifully striking 2D platformer, The Cub is a challenging title that is well worth fully exploring. An easy recommendation for fans of platformers past and present.

Survival: Fountain of Youth is as realistic as a survival game can get, but you will need to put in the hours (potentially dozens of them) to reach the important milestones on your journey to find the Fountain of Youth.

ILA: A Frosty Glide is a chill and cosy game set on a snowy island as you search for your cat. The tricky part is you can get lost in the same area for a long time!

Craftlings is charming in many ways, from its retro style to its complex systems. However, it can be pretty frustrating to learn how everything works.

A lack of engaging story and characters aside, NITRO GEN OMEGA excels with its strategic combat, gorgeous visual style, and overall uniqueness.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville Complete Edition is really a great game, but the lack of local split-screen multiplayer definitely makes it feel less than complete especially when the other consoles do have it. The story is a lot of fun and If you were just looking to play online then this game is definitely worth checking out.

As far as the whole visual novel thing goes, Batman is a well written and performed game. As far as an adventure game goes, it's awful.

A short 2D platforming game with very unique gameplay. It’s an incredibly artistic game with a great soundtrack and voice acting to compliment a story that adults can really relate to. If you are an emotional person, like me, be prepared for tears.

Whether you’re a cat lover or not, Cat Quest creates an ideal blend of charming graphics and traditional hack-and-slash gameplay. Despite holding back on a few things, the satisfying combat and convenient loot system show that The Gentlebros have a tremendous understanding of RPG mechanics and – to let the cat out of the bag – it could pawsibly be my favourite game of the year.

A short game that doesn’t outstay its welcome, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was an enjoyable, if slightly repetitive, experience that serves as an ample teaser for something bigger.

An engaging yet flawed chapter satisfyingly closes off the season and sets the stage for Clementine's next adventure.

Samurai Warriors 5 is a beautiful looking hack-and-slash game with a great story loosely based on historical events and characters. Add in a crazy amount of customisation and replayability this is a must-play title!

For some reason Dead In Vinland is weirdly addictive. I haven’t felt the urge to take just one more turn this strongly since the X-Com reboots. It’s deceptively easy to fall into a routine of assigning tasks, engaging in combat, managing characters’ needs, and exploring their backstories for hours on end. If nothing else, the game is good value for money. So, play it, I guess?

I really like Blacksea Odyssey, and I’m gonna keep it on my PC to play occasionally when I have a few minutes. Yes the controls are annoying, but I had a lot of fun and got really into progressing through the odyssey.

One can clearly see the ambition in The Beast Inside, but the developer's lack of experience means it doesn't actually reach those heights.

Let Then Come: Onslaught brings an arcade-action experience to console, but unfortunately, it can only be appreciated in short bursts.

An intriguing, story and dialogue driven game that gives us a new look through the mind's eye of Bruce Wayne and gives us the chance to groom The Batman into the crime fighter we want him to be. Various gameplay modes keep the game interesting and will have you begging Telltale to release the next installments sooner rather than later. Unfortunately the PC port problems hinders the enjoyment on computer.

One of the weirdest concepts for a videogame I have ever seen, but it somehow works. While the later levels can get infuriatingly challenging compared to the earlier ones, Supermarket Shriek has a great selection of game modes, a hilarious visual style, and excellent level design that had me consistently applauding the developer.

Tanuki Sunset is a vibrant, arcade-style longboarding game that has you playing as an extreme raccoon with a love of speed. It's a simple game that takes practise to master, but sure to get your heart pounding as you fly down winding roads!

Flutter Away is an incredibly wholesome and sweet game that, although short, is full of a lot of beautiful insects, flora, and other critters to interact with to complete your journal. Plus seriously, who doesn’t want a pet capybara after playing this game?!

It may be a little hard at first, but DeathSprint 66 offers an extremely fast and kinetic approach to racing that really makes the most of its 3D space, making for a bloody good time.

A satisfying take on the Commandos genre. Partisans 1941 allows players to walk through the brutality of the Second World War, searching for a beacon of hope on the other side.

It's undeniable to say that Marvel Rivals beat every odd stacked against it, and that's purely based on merit alone. It's a fun team-based shooter with new and old ideas featured prominently throughout its 33-character roster that kept me wanting for more.

The big thing to take away from WWE 2K16 is that not much has changed, yet again. The roster is a lot bigger, and features that were missing last time do return, but this game being back in line with your 2014 release isn’t something we should be thankful for. The fighting, which was slated last year anyway, only seems to have been limited yet again, but not to a devastating degree - it just still isn’t good enough.

Forts is a simple, fun game, has a nice sense of humour and is guaranteed to get your brain whirling as you figure out the best way to build your base, defend your weapons while also pelting the enemy with bullets and bombs. Unfortunately you’ll probably complete it with minimal fuss, but the developers do claim Forts has been made with modding in mind. Whether this will lead to the community making this game bigger and better will have to be seen.

While not having the exploration of Minecraft, this story-centric title provides an interesting experience that will give any player a few hours of entertainment. The addition of Crowd Play makes the game far more interesting than some other Telltale games.

While it certainly isn't a feast for the eyes, The Council exceeds expectations in all other regards, delivering a thoroughly enjoyable and occasionally thought-provoking experience.

Wall World is a great roguelite with an interesting concept that keeps you engaged with constant upgrades, ever-changing options, and an addicting gameplay loop.

Severed Steel assaults many of your senses and rewards your bullet dodging, slow motion ballet dancing with satisfying kills while caressing your eyes and ears with the striking visuals and soundtrack it presents to you.

ONE PIECE ODYSSEY is a fantastic journey with the Straw Hat Crew, that combines a light-hearted adventure, with a fun and flashy combat system. A must-play if you’re a ONE PIECE fan, though still very much recommended even if you’re not.

The amount of crafting and exploring so that you can craft, as well as a couple of minor issues, put a damper on an otherwise fantastic world, and fun game experience.

An interesting platformer with challenge, style, and fun. Not a game to overlook.

Spitlings is a colourful, crazy, hectic game that will have you laughing and probably yelling with your friends; this is a must-play party game. With one hundred different Spitlings to collect, will you get them all? Or will you surrender and bow down at the feet of your slime bubble overlords?

Beyond Words is an addictive blend of Scrabble and Balatro, but some of the requirements to beat later stages feel quite unreasonable, so it can be frustrating to play and be met with failure, only to start over.

Wet Dreams Dry Twice is a solid sequel to 2018’s entry. Some unfortunate polish issues and inconsistent puzzle difficulty stop it being great. Larry is the same oblivious, sexist, backwards thinking womaniser he’s always been but this adventure might help him grow… might!

A mysterious journey through a fascinating world, Caravan SandWitch is a relaxing adventure that is brimming with charm and is highly recommended.

FAR: Changing Tides is a phenomenal atmospheric game, as the visuals and sound design amalgamate wonderfully. However, you might be disappointed if you go into it expecting more.

Final Fantasy VIII is still a great game and if you’re playing it for the first time, I’d suggest getting this version. If you already have an earlier release however then it’s hard to justify the cost. A few graphical tweaks and some blurring isn’t worth the money for me: I could get a similar effect by taking off my glasses before playing and save myself 16 quid in the process. A poor remaster of a great game.

Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril is a throwback to all the games I grew up playing on the NES, capturing everything I loved and challenging me; with great controls, a retro look, and great soundtrack this is a must-play title!

Unusual Things has a lot of cool ideas — from the awesome 80s setting to the fact that your dialogue choices influence the ending. The problem was the stagnation: outside of sex jokes and dark themes, the game never found its personality.

Protodroid DeLTA is a challenging 3D platformer heavily influenced by the Mega Man X series. The game offers a variety of cool stages to choose from and presents crazy enemies to fight, but the jumps and enemy placement can feel unfair at times.

Mystic Gate is a fun roguelite bullet hell game that will challenge your reflexes and that has a huge assortment of weapons and skills that you acquire to use on your runs. It’s a challenging game, but feels addictive and not incredibly frustrating!

GSC Game World nails a unique mixture of genres between survival horror and open world with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The atmospheric environments, engaging gunplay, and the constant feeling of threat culminate in a heavy recommendation from me for fans of the genre.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a great introduction to the MechWarrior series and is primarily a PvE game. Players can expect to be rocking to an awesome soundtrack as they destroy their enemies on the battlefields.

With a refreshing twist on stealth gameplay, EVOTINCTION is a genuinely impressive title that fans of the genre shouldn’t pass up.

Since I started this when I was the highest level, the DLC seemed to be rather easy and quick. I enjoyed playing and exploring Sinai, but sadly what with the glitches of Bayek being eaten by a mountain, I will have to give the score lower than I expected.

Rise of the Ronin does a great job at combining combat and stealth, improved by a vast array of weapons to wield. The characters are memorable, as are the locations, showing off bakumatsu Japan. Regrettably, performance issues sour the experience.

If you are looking for an excellent 16-bit fighter game then look no further than Punch Club as it’s a hell of a lot of fun to play and sink some hours into.

Definitely a worthwhile game to pick up if you’re even remotely interested, featuring a really solid story and combat, this is a time sink and a half of content.

Vasara Collection brings two rare Japanese shmups to a modern audience in a competent (if relatively no frills) experience. Unique melee mechanics and a quirky feudal Japan setting make them well worth experiencing, just don’t expect them to be easy. The bonus Timeless mode is a nice addition but feels a bit wasted.

Eternal Threads is a wholly unique experience and one that I definitely recommend. That said, outside of snooping in the lives of six unsuspecting strangers there’s not really any other elements to rope in gameplay-heavy players.

Despite never watching The Smurfs, I absolutely loved the game! It’s fun, it’s gorgeous, and it’s humorous.

A return to arcade, a return to the docks, a return to drifting, and a return to putting fun above all else. This is what Grid should be about, enough fun to be had with the story and career modes, but an absolute hoon with a couple of mates in multiplayer.

Regalia: of Men and Monarchs will give the player the fantasy tactics and base-building experience that its backers demanded, paired with writing that but for a few typos is satisfactory at the very least.

Weird West blends a lawless world of gunslingers with the supernatural to great effect, and had me gripped the entire time. This is one adventure you need to experience.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is the crossover game that you never knew you wanted. Ninja Turtles mixed with Hades is a great combination that is fun solo or with friends!

Swarm Grinder is a good time but it does lack a little variety. You have to keep yourself engaged all throughout and there’s plenty to do, but prepare for an actual grind to victory.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim, but there’s nothing overly exciting either.

A fitting return to form for the GRiD franchise, especially given the five year gap since Autosport. Doesn’t take itself too seriously, so it’s a title anyone can pick up and play. Would be just as at home in an arcade cabinet as it is in the console under your TV or on your PC.

Combat sequences can be a bit long, The text story is slightly on the dull side. But it really makes up for it's challenging and engaging combat style.

A cute and quirky management sim with lots of character. Lacks some polishing but is quite well done otherwise.

In the gameplay department, Cloudpunk simulates the boredom of a minimum wage job a little too well. Looking back, I’m happy to have played Cloudpunk, but I never want to sit through it again.

The final act aside, OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is an underwhelming experience, especially when compared to its predecessor.

The Lamplighters League's approach to mixing real-time and turn-based tactical gameplay is enjoyable, and its charming misfits make banter a delight. If it can fix its technical issues, it has a chance to be a hit.

A fun romp if you recognise enough of the characters, with enough surprises to keep you guessing who will show up next. Fighting mechanic is simple and stays that way throughout, and hasn't changed since its predecessors on the PlayStation 2. Writing is focused on gags and references rather than staying true to original sources, but will entertain so long as you can endure a boob joke once in a while.

Issues aside, I enjoyed playing Sword and Fairy: Together Forever. It isn’t going to be for everyone, and the lore can be a bit overwhelming, but for those willing to stick with it, you’ll find a deep and engrossing RPG.

Tribes of Midgard is a well-polished, accessible experience. Allowing up to 10 players to take part, the game runs well on most hardware and is easy to pick up and play. The biggest concern is how unenjoyable the game is alone.

A different take on the choose-your-own-adventure genre, Stories is fantastic breath of fresh air. Though environments will soon become repetitive alongside the general gameplay, there’s no reason why this can’t become a series of it’s own.

An uttering fantastic game, Dragon Quest Heroes is more then deserving of your time. If you like hack n' slash games, do not pass this one up.

Cinders’ story had me hooked from beginning to end, while its compelling cast of characters, the themes it explores and its deviations from the traditional narrative of Cinderella made for a surprisingly poignant tale that I won’t soon forget.