A few changes here and there improve Football Manager 2023 much more than I’d anticipated. It’s still the same deeply engrossing sim that you know and love, but with a few extra bells and whistles to keep the fans happy.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is bittersweet. Having the unmissable marsupial back is a great throwback the 3D platformers of the late 90s, but for all of the nostalgia, the trilogy highlights some of the genre's weakest elements. A must play for original fans, and one new players should take with a pinch of salt.

Ghost 1.0 is a great game with a great visual style and interesting story and characters, that has moments of huge frustration because of the insane difficulty increases.

Taur is an excellent indie game that becomes a bit too grindy towards the end. The game has a unique spin on the tower defence formula and is fun once you get the hang of it.

A solid if slightly disappointing offering, bringing fun and engaging urban conflict to the strategic landscape of the Inner Sphere. New mechs, enemy vehicles, missions and equipment round out the additions, for committed fans it’s pretty much essential.

No Stick Shooter is a solid retro throwback with a knack for replicating the classic arcade style and bringing it to the modern spotlight. A techno soundtrack beats along with lights and lasers as you progress through each stage, earning points and defending your turret at all costs.

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.

If you like climbing, evil corporations, and frogs, then this might be the game for you. However, there is a difficulty spike that makes climbing a little less fun, and more frustrating later on.

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.

Nova-111 is a fun turn-based puzzle game that looks super cute and works your brain but can feel slow and repetitive after a while.

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.

If you’re looking for a space flight simulator that is an update of the original Elite, then this is perfect. If you’re looking for a well-written interactive story about saving humanity, look somewhere else.

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 perfectly serviceable if underwhelming remaster that brings the Vita game to the PS4. A fine RPG that will keep you entertained but it’s definitely not the best the Ys series has to offer. A bit of a missed opportunity.

With fantastic comedic timing, satisfying combat, and loads of sex, Future Fragments is a real blast, though it takes a little too much foreplay before getting there.

Minecraft Legends is a real time strategy game with a Minecraft skin for people who don’t or rarely play RTS’s to begin with. However, if you’re a fan of Minecraft or want to play with the family, go for it.

A small, simple collection of games, VISCO Collection features titles that mostly hold well. Despite one or two games not being that impressive, and a lack of bonus content, this is a decent ode to an unsung game developer.

My Friend Pedro can be an absurdly stylish action game when everything aligns but you’ll just as likely find yourself slipping over its unwieldy controls.

Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES is full of fun tanks and destructive action, offering twelve different vehicles, each with their own primary and special weapons to select from. The story is nothing to write home about, but the gameplay is super fun and addictive!

An easy 8, maybe even 9/10 for long time fans, but for most people points will be lost in the story department. It's never too late to catch up, but DO NOT start here!

The Necromancer’s Tale is a promising, well-written RPG with a fleshed-out trust system and rich characters, but simplistic, clunky combat hinders the game a bit.

REANIMAL continues everything great that we expect from the developer, but the short length and irritatingly small details hold it back a bit.

Despite a basic combat system and some stilted animations, there is a wonderfully intriguing adventure to be had with Mirage 7.

Don’t Be Afraid 2 faithfully recreates the first’s horrific atmosphere and shifts its focus to escape rooms. More puzzle variety and a grander scope could’ve elevated the experience, but it’s still a worthy pickup for fans of David’s story.

Koihime Enbu is a surprisingly well-designed fighter and, while it might not shake up the industry, has very little wrong with it and quite a lot going for it.

Farworld Pioneers takes elements of Terraria and RimWorld and turns it into a fun game. However, be warned, it will not hold your hand for very long and push you off a cliff before you’re ready.

The biggest flaws in I Ripped My Pants At Work are its relatively short game length, small world size and lack of a deep reason to return once finished. These problems, however, are negated somewhat by the quick gameplay loop, a charming world and small price tag. IRMPAW will provide quick bursts of smile inducing fun and is worth a go at its price.

Shanghai Summer has an enjoyable story that kept me intrigued and will be a sure hit for fans of Erased or Your Name. However, there are some minor issues that may detract some players, such as grammar and some minor graphical issues.

Kingsvein has some interesting concepts with a novel levelling and class system, but its difficulty and lack of explanation might turn some off.

Worth a playthrough. The cases are fun and engaging, even if they don’t all pan out in the clearest endings. Could use more work to stand out though.

As a whole package, I found myself having fun with Exoprimal, but the harsh lack of content and weak progression systems really hold it back. It has potential, and maybe a fantastic game later on, but right now it’s difficult to justify the price tag.

Bleak Faith: Forsaken may not be the best soulslike experience, but the world and overall designs are very impressive, despite the uninspired story and mechanical shortcomings.

If a mini meander of mind-bending meow-sochistic mouse mazes sounds like a good trip to you, then PUSS! Is undoubtedly a great recommendation. Otherwise, the purposefully stringent controls, disorienting gameplay, and rage-inducing cheap-shots might rub folks the wrong way.

Overall my time in Disintegration was a fun one, however it just left something to be desired in terms of shooting, or the RTS mechanics, I really hope that if there is a sequel to this game that they drastically improve the shooting mechanics. Multiplayer is fun and I can’t wait to spend more time with it.

Aethernaut brings one core idea to the table and backs it up with solid and varied gameplay on a level comparable to the original Portal, although the audio and visual aspects suffer.

A decent adventure title which, despite its slow pace, just barely manages to earn its keep with combat, puzzle and exploration gameplay. It doesn’t live up to its predecessor, but it doesn’t seem like it’s trying to.

Realpolitiks II is great for people with a ton of time to kill or who like to relax by simulating diplomatic relations and political scheming. Not recommended for casual players.

A collection of fantastic ideas and art direction, held together by some very unfortunate execution.

So short Batman himself should be investigating, but what they have added is a decent and different interpretation of the Batman lore. Those of us on the train will enjoy and be looking forward to the third installment.

Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is a nice and cosy mystery to solve on a rainy day, but don’t expect something more complex than that.

Tenebris Pictura’s creative puzzles and novel psychic abilities are held back by frequent design flaws and a lack of atmosphere. Fans of anything puzzly and occult will find plenty to enjoy here, but there are many more refined alternatives out there.

It looks good, it feels good, but a lot of this game doesn’t quite sit well with me. Lost Sea is a slow-starting but otherwise functional Roguelike that I’d definitely recommend – just remember that NPC abuse is wrong.

Reigns Beyond is a comedic swiping narrative title that is fun to play, but I wish there was more depth to the music segments of the game.

Lion Quest’s ingenuity isn’t enough to garner a gold medal, but varied gameplay provides a few hours of challenging entertainment.

A fun, casual arcade racer that has a decent chunk of a career mode to keep you busy with some fun aspects, let down by wonky AI and being placed into the wrong series of games making it really hard to recommend to either demographic of casual race fans or sim racers.

There's enough on display here that, if you were a big fan of Kirby's Epic Yarn, you could get at least get a couple more hours of entertainment out of it. However, assuming you’re not a big fan, than I would suggest waiting for something with a bit more substance to come out, which should be around Metroid Prime 4’s release.

Bakery Simulator lets you experience all the work that goes into running a bakery all on your own without the dishes. The controls can get very frustrating when racing against the clock to get the order out!

The Invincible is a visually impressive game of exploration, philosophy, and consequences. The characters, their choices and struggles will pull you in, while the intrigue and mystery will keep you around. Just beware of some unfortunate bugs.

MiceGard is an enjoyable game that has you controlling a group of Viking mice as a unit to fight off frogs that are attacking their village. There are some text issues, but it’s a minor annoyance when playing.

A story packed adventure which spans across the USA, with some wonderfully written stories, a fantastic soundtrack, and some sublime voice acting. However, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is let down by a map that is too large often resulting in a lot of time spent walking, doing nothing.

Jumanji Wild Adventures is an entertaining action-adventure title that is faithful to the movies it’s based on. It has some issues but is still entertaining to play, even when you aren’t a kid.

An engrossing combat system and numerous novel gameplay mechanics save what would have otherwise been merely a passable Dark Souls tribute from total mediocrity. Sadly, there’s still too much harming the experience to justify a wholehearted recommendation. It ain’t Souls and it certainly ain’t polished, but it's not terrible either.

A nice slice of life visual novel with some slightly dark undertones. If you're interested in following this group of Chuutsosu as they figure out their lot in life, it's worth a look.

Earth Atlantis takes the world its built and makes us appreciate it for every detail. Despite some gameplay issues, this title does the best it can to provide players with a memorable experience.

RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business is a lot of fun. I honestly did want more RoboCop, and that’s exactly what I got. Sure, you don’t get to ticket cars this time, but you do get to resolve disputes between neighbours and tell punks to make your day! I just wish that it didn’t have so many major issues.

Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder seems like the developers wanted to make a roguelike and then decided to make a story-focused game halfway through without ever following through on that desire. If Black Eye Games had fixed some of this game’s glaring issues, we could’ve had something cool here, but there are still much better options out there.

Super Rad Raygun is not what you would call addicting, simple silly fun inspired by a simple silly time in video game history. Any classic gamer would love this title and would even be a great way to introduce new gamers to what it used to be like for us old people. I would easily play again between AAA releases.

Earthlock: Festival of Magic shows that the JRPGs aren’t games of a bygone era. It’s got it’s issues, but it’s still a fun game if you’re a fan of the genre. Hopefully, the developers will have the funds and resources in the future to deliver a more fleshed out experience, but for now, this game is just fine.

Deadbeat Heroes is a solid brawler with good humour and a well-directed art style. While the execution of some of the combat elements interrupt the flow of said combat it is still a fun game to play. With a small degree of tweaking to the combat mechanics, this title could go from being an average brawler to an amazing one. The developers are supporting the game and recently released a patch in direct response to player feedback, so my fingers are crossed that they will continue to support the game and make Deadbeat Heroes a title worth remembering.

The patch system is fun to mess around with as well, but it can help with the tediousness and make you feel weak because of the randomized nature. The final fight was the best part of the forgettable journey, but if you don’t have the right patches, Geodia will be doomed.

Despite a lack of variety in modes, Wild Card Football’s on-field action is consistently frantic and enjoyable. The Wild Cards can create some truly great moments, but those looking for a large amount of single-player content will be left disappointed.

Ubisoft have done well with this game but if you get frustrated easily I would maybe wait till this game has had a few more updates first before playing it.

A competent if flawed JRPG that has a unique combat system undermined by poor localisation as well as just dull implementation. If you are after a Persona-like RPG you might get some enjoyment from this, but it’s pretty generic fare.

Far Cry 6 is two steps forward and a step back. The characters are brilliant, as is the work put into bringing them to life. Sadly, the game continues to be bogged down by more pointless content. The epitome of ‘less is more’.

Riot: Civil Unrest has the look and feel a good RTS with entertaining yet challenging gameplay sections, but it all feels a bit weird when considering a) these sections are based on real events, and b) that the gameplay is fun and entertaining, but really only when you play as the protesters.

It's a very short and simple experience, as the Steam page suggests, but it's definitely worth the time if you like the idea of cleaning an alien ocean to help the fishies out.

Rauniot is a short but tense puzzle adventure with a great mix of charm and unease. While the language barrier may affect your experience, the short length and interesting puzzles are worth having a look at. Doubly so if you speak the language. TORILLE!

The Devil's Daughter is a collection of minigames sewn together with a very questionable story, but that manages to keep the player amused for the duration of the game. Particularly given the atmosphere crafted in every detail of London and the deduction mechanics, the game will often make you feel like Sherlock.

Both a tranquil and amusing game that has its moment of natural charm in certain gameplay and narrative elements, but falls short when that charm feels forced. The lack of quality in its visuals and quest lines hinder it from being a great game, but still worth a look for younger audiences.

MXGP PRO is a fun Motocross racing sim with deep levels of customisation but is let down by some odd physics, a steep learning curve and it's similarity to the previous entry into the MXGP series: MXGP 3. If you are a diehard Motocross fan, this game is for you, but for the casual gamer, MXGP PRO probably won't be dynamic enough to hold your attention for long.

NEScape! is a great concept with some clever puzzles, and I enjoyed the rush they gave me, but some minor issues held it back.

A mystery game with some obtuse puzzles set in a beautiful world, worth looking at but be prepared to look up a guide for help with some of the puzzles.

A fun and challenging puzzle game that is best played co-op. If you are on your own, racing against the timer and trying to move heavy blocks around can become quite hard and get frustrating.

9 Lives to Defend is a fun cat-themed survival title, but it is very challenging. There is a large amount of content to unlock, but it will take a lot of work.

Torchlight III started life as a free-to-play title, and by all accounts it shows. It won’t bore you, but it’s just not engaging enough to become your next gaming obsession.

Crime Boss: Rockay City: Dragon’s Gold Cup DLC is a hell of a ride with a nice payoff. But it makes you work for it, and my knees hurt from all that crouching.

Finding Frankie is a mostly fun parkour experience with interesting levels and enemies, but the clunky controls are hard to ignore in this movement-focused title, and the lack of horror won’t satisfy those looking for their next scare.

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.

A fairly solid attempt, the changes to multiplayer bring out a large mix of good and bad responses from me. In the end I believe that they have pushed away from the original DoWs a bit too much. They still need to return to their roots! I am sure they will do it eventually.

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.

Aquarist on the Nintendo Switch is a pleasant and relaxing aquarium simulator with clunky controls, bad visuals, and an overall lack of story context. If you’re in the mood for something like it, I recommend being very cautious or just playing the PC version instead.

Fitting my thoughts on Amnesia: Rebirth in a single paragraph feels like an impossible task. It’s an effective character-driven narrative with forgettable characters; a tense horror game with a distinct lack of horror. Rebirth is exactly what the developers set out to create, which was not the Dark Descent clone that some people were hoping for.

The game is pretty good, but there are some problems with the gameplay, and the characters’ voices are a huge bother with how they ruin the immersion.

A beautifully designed title that truly brings the Sumi-e artistic style to life, Labyrinth of Zangetsu, unfortunately, doesn’t quite do enough with its gameplay to create the next must-own dungeon crawler.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox is an alright metroidvania mystery game, but can be incredibly frustrating at times and gets very repetitive. The game started off with an interesting story, but felt like it didn’t pay off in the end.

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

Aside from its charming presentation and humorous characters, it all feels a little shallow, offering snippets of things we’ve seen hundreds of times before.

Considering Torchlight Infinite is a free-to-play title, the hours of fun I got — with both free-to-play and paid characters — is a good sign. If you’re interested, check it out; at best, you get a great title to love at no additional fee.

Quaint and simple, Draw Your Game is great for young children. A good few hours fun, but easily forgotten.

If you like watching B-movie’s with friends, but would rather play them instead, then yes, Earth Defense Force 5 is the game for you. If you just want to blow shit up, then there are more entertaining games out there.

There is too much wrong with Sonic Forces to recommend it to everyone, but if you’re hankering for 3D Sonic, and you’ve finished every other Sonic game, then check it out on sale.

Onion Force offered a decent amount of enjoyment but it's glaring problems detract from it's experience.

Overall, Cyberpunk 2077 is a fun game that is plagued by bugs. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this game in its current state, but with patches this should improve.

Overpass 2 is an acquired taste compared to other racing videogames. It is not recommended for casual racing gamers or anyone wanting to “try it out”.

Although it’s an absolute treat to look at, the fights and some odd design choices mar the experience, so this is a bit more eggplant than pudding.

Critter Café is very cute and cosy, perfect for a younger demographic, but there isn’t that much substance to it that made its 12+ playtime all that engaging.

Behind some rage-inducing problems Expeditions: Viking is incredibly good. It enhances everything established in Conquistador and brings the setting to real life. Whether players will want to struggle through a sea of crashes and mistimed saves to experience it all is another factor altogether.

Any Star Trek fan is going to enjoy this, and it might even turn narrative adventure fans into Trekkies.