A solid expansion that brings a lot of new toys to play with and mission variations to play in. The campaign is a fun exploration of a pivotal time in Mechwarrior lore. If you own Mechwarrior 5 you should own this.

If you’re after something action packed or something that will take your mind off the outside world then this isn’t it. But if you want to see what a theatre group can make when they cross political satire with a videogame then this is it.

Axiom Verge 2 is a 2D metroidvania game that focuses on exploration in its huge environment. If you played the first Axiom Verge game you may be disappointed in some of the changes like lack of weapons and less of a combat experience.

Amazing character relationships and a bombastic plot make this a must-play for fans of Robotics;Notes. However, it’s just not for those left uncomfortable by excessive perversion. Add in how often the game crashes and its awkward pacing and DaSH becomes very hard to get through.

Cruis’n Blast is an excellent return for the series and genre as a whole. The lack of online multiplayer hurts but there is a lot to enjoy for solo players and those who can play locally. Fantastic visuals and track set-pieces make this an engaging, fun time.

Tales of Arise is so well done with the story, graphics, battle system, music, characters and voice cast that it is a must-play for anyone. Even if you aren’t normally a big fan of role-playing games the story is so compelling there is a lot to love here.

A short but original puzzle game that comes as a low enough price that the lack of length is not an issue. A pleasant little experience that translates well from mobile to the Switch.

Overall, Aragami 2 is definitely my favourite multiplayer experience of the year. It’s a contender for my game of the year, too! It’s well designed, looks great, plays very well and is absolutely huge with tons of replay value! I highly recommend it.

Deathloop is a creative masterpiece. Refining everything that is excellent about Arkane Studios previous titles, it takes every single dial and cranks it up to 11.

This game has some enjoyable parts, like the art, story potential, and cyberpunk aesthetics, but it is ultimately underwhelming.

At times frustrating, Garden Story is a fantastic example of how charm can help push a game to the next level, despite some frustrating design choices.

A flawed return for a classic series that doesn’t quite nail the transition to an open-world third-person perspective. Interesting and fun combat balances out the bland exploration somewhat.

This is a game for those with the patience to fully invest in this seven-day experience. Depending on how you approach UnearthU: As a mindfulness app, it’s pretty useful although teetering on the edge of being problematic - as a unique ARG-like experience, it’s extremely innovative.

What True Colors lacks in the emotional gut-wrench that the previous games have, it makes it for with a refined format that presents a story that fits right into the series and tells it in the best way seen so far. You're very unlikely to be disappointed here.

A super fun 2D action-platformer with a unique twist on a classic story. Even for someone who plays a lot of games like this I was still challenged and really enjoyed the unique addition of being able to parry and disarm the enemies instead of just killing.

There are few seated VR games that I would recommend more than this, with great acting, a fun script and brain-teasing puzzles. Live the life of a super spy - who never moves from one spot - you’ll either have a blast, or get blasted.

Morteshka’s second outing was a home-run. Black Book is a superbly written title, lifting the lids of a host of Slavic myths that were likely unknown to many of us previously. Gameplay can be easy at times, but the rest will keep you locked in.

A great port of a great title that’s well worth the investment on Switch, on PS4 however unless you are a Darius superfan you’d be better served with a copy of Chronicle Saviours.

Exhausting unfortunately is the word I would use to define playing Just Die Already for more than an hour and that’s a bit of a shame. Its art direction and sound track are both solid and contribute greatly to making the game feel unique. The actual premise of the game is a great bit of dark comedy. But the game’s loose structure and lack of meaningful objectives makes it a chore to play. I’d certainly recommend playing the game for a short burst of time but anything beyond that is just a recipe for boredom and exhaustion.

A cute and colourful game that has unique creatures and flora for you to discover and take photos of. Perfect for a casual gamer who wants a laid-back experience where they can just snap pictures that they aren’t judged on to fill a few hours.

SOLASTA: Crown of the Magister has its faults, but still manages to be an enjoyable RPG experience. if you just want a D&D-eqsue dungeon crawler to play through, there are certainly worse options to choose from.

Despite the game sending a conflicting message about its main theme, it mostly handles a difficult topic well. The combat is fun, albeit limited, but you’re likely to enjoy your stay in the dunj.

Whilst not without its faults, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a satisfying co-op shooter that shows that there's still fun to be had with the Aliens franchise.

Psychonauts 2 is an absolutely fantastic game, and I can say that with certainty. Double Fine took an amazing concept that was ahead of its time and proved that they could do it again. The very few issues I had with the game were minor and had absolutely zero bearings on my overall enjoyment of the game.

Twelve Minutes is a videogame that is fantastic in every area, except being a videogame. There’s a lot to love, and I think people will overlook its faults. Sadly those faults are there, almost completely tanking an otherwise excellent piece of fiction.

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 brilliant return to the old-age of PlayStation. Unapologetically fun, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, is relentless with the charm and the action. A must-play for anyone who’s managed to beat a scalper to get a PlayStation 5.

Chernobylite is a frustrating game. It’s far from unenjoyable, but there was so much potential here for something greater. At its core, it’s a fantastic recreation of Chernobyl that’s inundated with mechanics that aren’t required to enjoy this game. The Farm 51 nail atmosphere and the world, yet never seemed satisfied with what they actually wanted the game to be. It doesn’t ruin the overall experience for Chernobylite, which manages to hit the goalpost of greatness before rebounding into the net of mediocrity.

Another smashing entry in the F1 series, and has left me wondering what more they could add for 2022 when that inevitably rolls out of the pits next year.

I absolutely loved this game, it’s not just a great remake of a great shooter, but it’s genuinely one of the best shooters that I’ve played on a current-gen system. Beep has done a great job in making the series feel both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. It’s still a very short game, but if you like a good shooter and you’ll get replay value from chasing a high score then you absolutely must get this.

Overall I enjoyed my time with Rust, it may need a few updates and features to really stand out, but even at this level the game is a strong contender in the survival game genre.

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!

One Hand Clapping is an amazing looking 2D platformer and the concept is definitely unique and interesting. Unfortunately, it’s more interesting than the game itself.

Cottage Living has room to improve, but it delivers on the simple joy of taking care of cute animals in a farm-like setting and shows that The Sims 4 still has much to offer.

A fantastic game for both fans of Monster Hunter and newcomers alike, cleverly weaves aspects of the main games into a traditional RPG setting and can stand on its own.

Ender Lilies features some truly captivating pieces. With its excellent soundtrack and captivating art style. However, the game falls flat in its execution. Making it a game that at times feels excellent and at others feels mundane.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a great looking rogue-like Metroidvania game with a good story. It is incredibly challenging and can get very frustrating with the amount of backtracking, collision detection issues and lack of direction of what you need to do to progress.

In summary, Viscerafest is a carnage-fun experience and I enjoyed every second of it, though some of the in-game graphics could do with a polish, it can’t be overlooked for its gameplay mechanics and absolute blast of a journey. To my surprise, the main protagonist has become one of my favourites. Retro shooter fans should definitely pick this one up!

Blazing Beaks is a crazy adventure where you'll find yourself fighting monsters and searching for artifacts. There's an endless line-up of enemies for you to shoot and blast through. A cute and charming world that increases in difficulty, and as you progress through the levels you’ll be hallmarked with plenty of surprises.

NEO: The World Ends With You is an excellent RPG that satisfies fans wanting more, or newcomers who want a unique experience from their games. However, there are some annoying points where it could worsen your experience.

Within the Blade is full of action and stealth, just like what you would expect a ninja to be good at. Unfortunately some of the levels become quite repetitive, but the game offers a unique weapon crafting feature that you don’t usually see in games like this.

An absolutely amazing feat of crafted creativity, and accompanied by a stunning and complimentary score. For those looking for a quirky and methodical movie-length point & click adventure, Papetura is definitely one for the wishlist!

Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade is technically impressive. Fixing many of the original release’s technical issues while also improving the game for next-gen hardware. INTERmission offers an excellent character edition with that of Yuffie with some excellent gameplay to boot. Intergrade is simply more of the best parts of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade is technically impressive. Fixing many of the original release’s technical issues while also improving the game for next-gen hardware. INTERmission offers an excellent character edition with that of Yuffie with some excellent gameplay to boot. Intergrade is simply more of the best parts of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I found this to be too slow for my liking, but if you want a slow-paced game with lots of idle chit-chat and an occasional battle, then this might be right up your street. The sedate pace and minimalist mechanics will probably divide critics, but this one found it dull and unengaging.

Sunblaze is a deceivingly cute game that will definitely kick your butt. Luckily with great accessibility options this game is playable for a wider audience and not just a super frustrating experience. Unless you enjoy that.

A competent collection of ports that does the bare minimum to bring the series to modern systems. The games themselves are still fantastic action classics but it’s a shame all versions couldn’t be included.

The Legion of Maelstrom is a retro-inspired turn-based RPG that takes everything you know from games you have played in the past and switches it up to make a totally new experience. This game feels like an RPG from an alternate reality, it's a must-play game that needs to be experienced!

A nice, cheap entry into the match-3 genre, with plenty of anime nudity if you’re into that.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is a super fun arcade-style beat ‘em up starring your favourite Looney Tunes characters and LeBron James teaming up to take down Al G. Rhythm. Highly recommended if you enjoy local multiplayer games, but it is pretty short so don’t expect something that will last a long time.

An incredibly fun and great looking voxel style game that has you working with people all over the blocky world to take down the alien insects trying to take over the Earth. The game is full of action and insanity that will keep you entertained for a long time!

Chivalry 2 is a ton of fun, not overly complicated and will keep you coming back for more.

There is a lot of potential in Dark Nights with Poe and Munro. But, I needed the player to have a more active role rather than a passive one. But, perhaps there is an audience out there for this game and I just may not be it.

Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is unpolished and suffers from its slow start and lack of story. It’s not a standout game, not even a particularly good one...but there’s something there. It’s an introductory step by a fledgling developer that shows real promise.

Despite some glitches and bugs, and a useless drone, this really is the definitive modern day sniper experience, and definitely recommended.

While there’s a chance you can’t play it without fiddling with things, there’s a fun game in here. It’s expensive, with far too much DLC, but it’s fun.

Atelier Mysterious Trilogy DX is a brilliant package that makes for a wonderful return to three excellent titles, as well as a great starting point for newcomers to the series.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is a great addition to the classic Ghosts ‘n Goblins series. The visuals are beautiful and with the option of different difficulties, abilities to learn and level choices this game is fun to play no matter your skill level.

Scarlet Nexus is easily one of the best games so far this year and a strong contender for game of the year. With addictive gameplay and compelling narrative, there is plenty to love in this Brain Punk vision of a psionic future.

A middle of the road performance for New Pokémon Snap. It will certainly find its niche, and anyone who considers themselves a big Pokémon fan will come away from this game grinning about some really beautiful moments. The biggest issue with New Pokémon Snap is that there is no reason to stick around after the first couple of hours.

Space Commander is a competent game, with many features and some innovation, turning focus from piloting one ship to managing and controlling a fleet. It can be engaging but unfortunately not for long as it is just too simplified and lacks in variety, depth or challenge.

Märchen Forest is an engaging JRPG if you go in expecting things to get weird. If you’re just looking for a nice little JRPG experience with enjoyable dungeon-crawling and rewarding combat, you can’t really go wrong with this one.

All style and very little substance, Ashwalkers feels as cold and lifeless as the world it portrays.

A beautiful and unique puzzle game that will really require you to use your brain and think. This game is a must-play even to just experience manipulating two different dimensions to get your alien to the goal.

My experience with Galactic Mining Corp definitely ticked the positive column more often than the negative. Sadly, the game's commitment to making the overall experience easy to use and accessible for everyone, means that neither side ever gets the experience they truly wanted.

This is a must-play title for people who grew up going to the arcade or want to experience that special feeling of playing classic games on a cabinet. If you aren’t a big fan of fighting titles like Street Fighter or flying action games this may be a title you would want to skip out on.

A great base to build from for the future but in its current state it’s hard to recommend until Frontier gets in front of the performance issues and bugs that plague Odyssey right now.

This is a game that knows exactly what it’s doing and does it with sizzling charm. It’s well worth the £7.19 price tag on Steam. If you’re a fan of puzzle games, you’ll be happy to fan the flames of Wildfire Swap.

Fly TOGETHER! Is a great casual party game that features a ton of cool aircraft to pilot. With accurate and responsive motion controls it’s a fun break from your usual party games since you don’t get a chance to create the flight path for airplanes and UFOs.

Encodya is a fun point-and-click- adventure game but has some minor flaws that do take away from the fun.

I enjoyed my time with BIOMUTANT and I can’t wait to replay the game and see how it will play out if I make just a few minor changes to some of the decisions I made throughout the game.

On the right map with the right team, you’ll encounter some fantastic PVP moments. Though tonally it’s more miss than hit, Knockout City is at least worth trying out; but without much variety of content as of review, I'd wait until the game reaches its potential.

Despite my gripes about accessibility, the game delivers so many options regardless of whether players choose the role of Commander or Officer. Ultimately though, Eximius will most likely have a handful of hardcore fans to keep it alive, at best. Grading would be far higher if I could see potential for growth that would allow PvP to flourish. My advice, if you want to shoot stuff, stick to the Crucible.

If you love speed-running type games, Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is a must-play. Who would have guessed that running through forests, on top of buildings, through offices where you are jumping over photocopiers and sliding under desks would be so addictive and so much fun!

Dino Galaxy Tennis is a super cute, simplistic and incredibly charming game that can be enjoyed on your own or by playing with a friend locally. Even though the story is a bit short, Dino Galaxy Tennis is full of fun challenges and a versus mode to keep you addicted to getting the high score.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a phenomenal remaster of the original trilogy, with enough changes to not only feel fresh, but with enough quality-of-life improvements to truly call this the definitive way to play the Mass Effect trilogy.

A very nostalgic-style RPG with cute art and an interesting story. If you're looking for something new yet old-school-inspired with occasional notes of goofiness, this is a game for you. Definitely consider giving it a try.

A potentially great game with excellent visuals and sound design let down by awkward controls and a humdrum narrative.

If you already enjoy the Soko-baa-n puzzle genre, Dark Sheep will probably whet your appetite. With a novel premise and visual homage to the commodore 64, it’s short and sweet but nothing more than a little treat… just put the music volume on 0 for your own sanity.

It could have, and should have, been so much more than just a bigger version of the original. The new characters would have been problematic in 2015, let alone 2021.

Dodgy combat aside, Die Young is a pleasing little survival adventure on a beautiful Greek island. If only the locals weren’t so “stabby”.

Resident Evil Village is an expertly-crafted narrative that seamlessly weaves subtle horror into action-driven sequences and backs it up with an excellent story supported by even better characters. An exemplary merit that Capcom still hasn’t lost its creative spark.

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is a must play game for anyone who loves point-and-click adventure games, especially with a supernatural mystery theme. If you enjoyed the first game you obviously must play this title!

The Uncertain: Light at the End is a game that interweaves everything through its narrative. Sadly, that narrative is frustratingly tedious, meaning the rest of the game’s building blocks fall apart without a strong base.

Rain On Your Parade is a super cute and fun game full of great references and amazingly cute characters. Who doesn’t want to see a cute vengeful cloud with a frog on his head?

The inclusion of popular Vtubers’ isn’t enough to save Neptunia Virtual Stars, as it ends up being an underwhelming mess that fails to deliver.

Bravely Default 2 on the Switch is a competent JRPG that doesn’t really try anything new, but it does everything so well that it doesn’t even matter.

A compelling found-phone horror title which demonstrates a real love for and understanding of the Doctor Who universe.

Ignoring leaks and datamines, the return to Switch feels like a revival and if this is supposed to be the B-Team’s game, I think I know what games I’ll be more interested in moving on. But that said, for a Monster Hunter game, the core game is only just better than World at launch but is open about stopping you from progressing further until a later date.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a super cute and pun filled game starring an adorable Turnip who is in financial trouble and obsessed with ripping any paper he can get his hands on. Will he ever pay off his debt?

Outriders is a boring game to play solo, with a lack of any real end-game content and bugs that may wipe all of your progress it’s probably best to wait for a sale for this one.

Star Wars: Republic Commando on Switch is the worst way to play an outstanding and incredibly likeable game.

This is a cool twist on the story of Adam and Eve. With great music, graphics and a great story Smelter combines the platforming and real time strategy genres with great success.

An improvement in every sense, NieR Replicant is an absolute blast. You’ll love the characters, the world and every little detail you can think of. Prepare yourself for another one of Yoko Taro’s wonderful, yet emotional, rollercoaster rides.

There’s no knowing that you’ll go nowhere in life not knowing your no’s! Though sparse by way of gameplay and mechanics, the game’s strength lies within the commentary on social norms by over-exaggerating “yes-man” culture and self-sacrifice most of us can relate to on some level.

Oddworld: Soulstorm refines a lot from the previous games, but it comes at the cost of adding in new mechanics that never really click. The core element has improved, and it’s easy to see the franchise continuing to improve going forward, without needless additions. Soulstorm just falls that little short of great this time around, sadly.

I’d love to give Red Ronin a stronger recommendation since some of the opening levels provided a fresh spin on a subgenre that many people find too daunting. In fact, the game launched at such a low price that I’d still urge curious parties to check it out, if only to experience the fleeting brilliance of the first half. Unfortunately, whatever players are looking for in Red Ronin, they’ll likely only get an incomplete version of it.

Under the Jolly Roger is hard to recommend. It may offer entertaining ship battles, but these lack enough depth to compensate for every other aspect being a drawn-out slog.