Pendula Swing - The Complete Journey is a unique, fun, and beautiful experience that I think everyone that is a fan of RPG and point-and-clicks should try. It charmed my pants right off.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is a fantastic time, with its minor flaws rarely impacting the experience.

Yars: Recharged is a remake of the best-selling Atari 2600 game, and it’s easy to see why it was so popular! This game will keep bringing you back for more with fun and challenging gameplay.

Destroy All Humans is a fantastic, faithful experience. Both older fans and new fans will find a lot of enjoyment here and hopefully we will see a lot more of Crypto’s antics going into the new generation.

The Knightling is a wholesome and beautiful action platformer that hearkens back to the PlayStation 2 era. Great humour, amazing movement controls, and fun combat make this a title you won’t want to miss, though there is still room for a few QoL updates and patches.

Another solid entry into the franchise in what should be the exciting conclusion of the trilogy. Blood for the Blood God and all that good stuff!

One of those games that can be appreciated regardless of how long it’s been around – Xanadu Next makes some brilliant use of videogame elements that we have all come to love, and although the player often lacks meaningful choice the game is never truly restrictive.

Grimvalor is a side-scrolling platformer for people who love the challenge that the Dark Souls series entails, but hate the punishing gameplay that comes along with it. Despite its lacklustre story, the gameplay is fast, fluid and constantly evolving to keep things engaging until the very end.

Clockwork Aquario is a great title if you are looking to be transported to the arcade from your house. It’s bright, colourful, and has a fun co-op mode so you can share the experience with a friend. If you have a Switch this is a title to check out!

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame stands out from other LEGO games, not for the huge game changes but for the little additions that are often unappreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and I am looking forward to playing more.

Cozy Grove's day-by-day mechanics can be frustrating to some, but is a definite welcome addition, allowing me to slowly unravel the story and giving me more playtime in the long run, completely enhancing my mornings.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is certainly not for everyone, and its reliance on world interaction and a quirky, abstract but grounded world gives it a distinct feel. If you want a thought provoking, interesting world to spend some time in then you can do far worse.

Despite being very hard, and a little bit repetitive in places, this is a fine addition to a game that was already one of my favourite puzzlers of all time.

Despite some unsatisfying gameplay systems, Darkwood can provide legitimate thrills and scares for the horror fans that miss the vibes of such classics as Silent Hill 2 and Pathologic without ever using a jump scare. Whether it is the uniquely grotesque art style or the ever-challenging design of its difficulty, Acid Wizard Studio has proven it understands what ingredients make up a good horror experience and the randomised elements of the game allow a unique narrative every time you play.

Buckshot Roulette is short if you know what you’re doing, but like any good gambling addiction, you can’t help but come back for more.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is a wonderfully fun adventure that’s sure to be enjoyed by everyone. If nautical nonsense is something you wish, go play this game.

I would give this higher, but I know later down the line and looking back this is by no means a 9 or even 10 in terms of the game’s scope. But if the writing kept its pacing from start to finish, it would’ve matched the astonishing soundtrack, blistering court cases, impeccable murders, and superb characters. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find myself a tissue for the tears I shed to those lost in this Killing Game.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is another solid entry into the franchise. Despite a couple of minor issues here and there, this title is definitely worth the price of admission.

ISLANDERS: New Shores is a chill building experience, full of strategy, that requires a lot of planning to maximise your score, but it remains a calm and relaxing experience.

Fort Solis is a great game with amazing production quality, there are small optimisation issues, and the pacing can feel a bit slow at times, but the story, graphics, and sound design are all amazing. It has fair pricing without a “premium version” or DLCs.

A great cast of characters let down by a fairly unengaging narrative, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is still a superb RPG packed with content. Grab your friends, it’s time to go adventuring in the skies.

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!

Another great remastering of an already-great title. There isn’t too much new here, but it looks lovely and minor quality of life improvements make the difference. If you haven’t got the original then this is one to pick up and if you have it’s still worth it to play it at its best.

Soul’s Spectrum is an RPG unlike any other that I have played. With a totally unique gameplay mechanic along with an intriguing story, this game will challenge you in a good way.

There are minigames which break up the constant narrative, such as bandaging someone up and taking tons of photos, but ultimately 1979 Revolution: Black Friday is much more of an interactive story than a game. It just so happens to be a story which is so well written and performed, that it will make you wonder about yourself as a person.

Wildmender is a beautiful game that manages to balance cosy gardening with epic adventure and ruthless survival. One of my favourite games of the year. And you can hug frogs.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 improves on its predecessor in every way, offering more content, an enjoyable campaign, and tight, responsive fighting. Just please bring back CatDog.

Smushi Come Home takes all the fun parts of many beloved titles and mixes them together to make a dream come true.

Old Market Simulator teaches you the value of hard work, trading modern-day conveniences for satisfying gameplay that will keep you hooked, but lacks properly teaching the player of its many aspects and assumes some level of previous experience.

Zombie Soup is a fun top-down twin-stick shooter that fans of the genre will enjoy. The enemies are a ton of fun and have silly personalities, like the zombie boss who tries to hit you with a fish! I just wish there was the option to play with a friend.

Musically, thematically, and mechanically masterful, with some minor jank lightly souring the experience.

Valentino Rossi The Game marks a significant leap forward for Milestone s.r.l, it has created an excellent MotoGP experience, managing to capture the career of biking legend. This is a must buy for fans of The Doctor, and anyone that likes bikes!

City of Beats is thoroughly recommended, with its fun gameplay that flows with the music you make. There are a few design decisions that made me raise my eyebrow, but it ultimately is an enjoyable experience.

What Dragon’s Dogma 2 does well is the wonder of exploration and adventure. The world is beautiful, the Vocations are flashy, and the fights are bombastic. A hearty recommendation for old hats and fresh faces alike!

After 12 long years, Trails from Zero is a classic RPG that was worth the wait. Fantastic characters, world building, and fun combat create another game in the franchise that will appeal to long time fans and newcomers alike.

Horizon Forbidden West is a fantastic sequel, and despite some issues, is absolutely worth the play.

Weighing in at over five hours, it’s not the longest game you’ll ever play, but it’s wide open for replayability, and the story is great.

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends is as satisfying as great sushi. You’ll have fun running a restaurant and making friends at a nice pace with very little to stop you.

Tents and Trees is a great example of a coffee or morning game to play and something to do after a long day of work.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 2 builds on everything that the original did, whilst ditching some annoying systems along the way. With a large variety of fighters and a very well made campaign, this game is definitely worth a purchase.

Packed to the brim with personality, atmosphere, and balls of steel, Trine 5 is prime puzzle-platformer action from start to finish, especially if you bring some friends along for the ride.

In Stars and Time is an intriguing game with a crazy time loop system. If you are willing to put in the time needed, you will be rewarded with a great story with fun characters.

Metrico+ is one of the more unique puzzle experiences on the PlayStation 4, but it's quirky nature never detracts from the addictive puzzle design. This is a solid experience from start to finish.

Zombasite might be a little hard to wrap your head around but the blend of action RPG and Civilization-style strategy works really well. A little rough around the edges but the game underneath is a gem worth digging for.

It’s short, but worth every second of your time. This version is somewhat more forgiving than the original, much to my disappointment, but the visuals, atmosphere and narrative come together to create a particularly impressive experience.

With only a few small niggles to complain about, Yoku’s Island Express successfully merges pinball and platforming without ever making the former feel like a gimmick. Its beautiful presentation and fun, engaging exploration blend together to create a truly unique experience.

I did like Goetia, and I especially liked the visuals which were truly entrancing. I also liked the plot and the way that I could play it for a prolonged period of time without realising just how long I’d been on it. That sheer feeling of being engrossed is something I look for in a game, especially with horror games being my favourite genre. Goetia can be difficult at points and can lead to frustrating moments, but overall I was definitely impressed.

Deadpool fans need this game; VR action game fans will probably like it too. Be Deadpool.

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.

STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter is still a fun game if you can handle its difficulty in the latter half. Putting yourself in the Mandalorian armour of Jango Fett has never felt so good before, and now fans new and old can experience this classic.

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!

This strategy based game focused around diabolical murder in order to get some much needed sleep is absolutely wonderful. Different characters, levels, and so much in each level to explore! Definitely worth a look, especially if you need to relieve some stress from frustrating neighbours who maybe party too much.

A tremendous game that really pushes the boundaries. Both an excellent educational resource, and a superb time sink. This would be a perfect-scoring title if it wasn’t for a few too many bugs and stability issues, but I still recommend it incredibly highly.

A lot of fun in a little, old package, just so long as you beware the bodily fluids.

Midnight Ramen is a cosy time with flavourful depths hidden within. With an emotional story and wonderful world-building, it’s hard not to come back for seconds.

Lovely Planet 2: April Skies is – for lack of a better word – lovely. Everything about it is cute, simple and a nice change of pace from all the overly violent games I’ve been playing recently. It feels great to play and it can get challenging towards the end, but nothing that had me scratching my head or annoyed with difficulty. I loved pastel colours for the visual style and happy inducing music because it puts me in a relaxing place, and for that reason, it’s a game I may return to in the future.

Brilliant art design, lovely script, and great production values make ICEY one of the best indie titles I have ever reviewed.

From all-time classics to underrated gems, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is robust enough to not only please avid Capcom fans but also newer players who want to experience some of the company’s older games.

Death Trick: Double Blind is a point-and-click story full of twists, turns, and compelling characters. I came for the circus, but I stayed for the references to Ace Attorney and Sherlock Holmes.

Innovative, memorable, and well-written, Vampire Therapist is easy to recommend to visual novel fans and anyone interested in cognitive behavioural therapy.

Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid is like living through your childhood summers: filled with adventures, friends, chores, and great memories to look back on. Though the controls could be finicky, the overall experience was a level of wholesome all its own!

Short and sweet, The Pale Reach offers the perfect excuse to return to the world of DREDGE. And as one of the best indie titles of the year, how could anyone refuse?

Go Mecha Ball is a game full of adrenaline-filled action, strategy, and combat as both a ball and a mecha. It’s action-packed, addictive, and a very challenging title!

Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku is a fun and enjoyable game. It has little to no faults, it looks gorgeous, it also has a huge replay value with Co-op, and trying to beat your best times in dungeons. If you enjoyed games like The Binding Of Isaac then you will love this. While it may not be as difficult, it is still as fun.

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.

Another fantastic experience from Insomniac’s serving of Spider-Man. An improvement on an already fantastic original title. In Insomniac’s hands, we don’t just have two great Spider-Man games, but two great Spider-Men.

Blood West is a fantastic stealth FPS with some light immersive sim elements. The world feels incredibly bleak, yet super atmospheric, definitely worth the pickup!

I can see myself spending a lot of time with FUSER, as I regale moments of my youth with various software that didn’t have any of the shine present here. A music game without custom peripherals is a breath of fresh air - both in reducing the cost and in showing that it’s about the creativity of mixing tracks, rather than just playing back some buttons in time with the screen.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 replicates the feeling of being a badass almost seamlessly. It’s only a shame that mandatory matchmaking for Operations and dumb AI in Campaign take away your agency to experience it the way you might want to.

The Outbound Ghost is a great turn-based RPG with fun characters and a heartfelt story. The unique game mechanics make the battles challenging and enjoyable as you progress through the story.

REYNATIS is an excellent magical adventure set in the mean streets of Shibuya. With great use of its simple yet awesome gameplay mechanics, it’s definitely worth your time, but be prepared to deal with less-than-stellar design choices.

An improvement on its predecessors in just about every conceivable way. Zombie Army 4: Dead War offers one of the ‘gamiest’, most carefree and satisfying shooting experiences of recent years. Technical bugs and a lacklustre horde mode prevent this from reaching its full potential, but it’s just so hard to stay mad at a game that’s this much fun.

I really liked Brut@l. It has vivid graphics, good depth, a strong solo mode with its presentation of dungeons and the enemies, and this was topped off with a really intuitive Dungeon Creator. There is plenty on offer here, and it certainly doesn’t restrict itself to fans of the genre.

A compelling game, being just short enough to not overstay it’s welcome.

Distant Bloom beams you up to the cosiest alien planet you could dream of. It has minor issues, but they don’t detract from the cute, relaxing experience as you revitalise a wilted world.

There is a good variety between levels and bugs that will keep you engaged until the – very short – end, but you’ll be buzzing all about it once you’re done.

A Divine Guide To Puzzle Solving is simply a nice time that doesn’t last longer than it should, but the last level could be a bit better.

If you're considering buying Plantera 2: Golden Acorn, then doubt no further: this idler title is sure to be a perfect addition for interested parties, if not for the adorable graphics alone.

Riley & Rochelle combines ‘90s celebrity culture with a detective-style game that’s impossible not to appreciate.

DIRT 5 is an excellent, stunning and simply enjoyable arcade racer that is easy for anyone to pick-up and play regardless of your motor vehicle knowledge with a career mode that is surprisingly entertaining. You may want to pick it up on PlayStation 5 though since it feels awesome to play with the new DualSense features.

Far Cry 5 established itself as one of the best in the series, The game features some gorgeous scenery, an engaging story and the overall story is great fun and the theme is very realistic. The game mixes up the missions so it doesn't get repetitive halfway through the game. Far Cry 5 is a great entry to the series for newbies and veterans alike.

A blisteringly fun early game can be dampened somewhat by the bloated middle and late stages, but Stellaris is another example of Paradox Interactive showcasing that they are the kings of grand strategy, and is a game that every fan of the genre should have in their collection.

Both a decent language learning tool and a good game, Shujinkou pulls off a pretty impressive feat here. Some of the controls are a little more complex than I would like, but everything else is spot-on.

King of Fighters XIV is brilliant. It is certainly an upgrade on the last game, with upgraded visuals, a cool story mode, depth of characters, and great locations being the main boasting point. Having said that, the actual gameplay is brilliant stuff, with the combinations and movement of characters being a particular highlight. It is just a shame the online experience is rather hit and miss, even after the patch.

Redout 2 is a beautiful-looking, anti-gravity racing game that has you driving at ridiculously fast speeds. This difficulty level is pretty high, but if you are willing to practise and hone your skills you will definitely be rewarded.

With My Past is an interesting puzzle platformer that tackles heavy themes. It is a beautiful game that poses a unique challenge to players, but one that you should play with care.

Reignbreaker is a great rogue-like set in a dystopian punk world that feels more forgiving than titles like Hades.

Code 7 really makes you feel like a hacker with truly immersive gameplay and grabs your attention from the get-go with an intriguing narrative.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a great rhythm game that is sure to be enjoyed by newcomers and veteran players of the genre. However, if you’re buying it for the story you should probably skip this. This isn’t the Kairi game fans have been pining for since the Re:Mind DLC.

Slime Rancher 2 might be more of the same, but it’s still really good at the end of the day. With a new world, refinements to its design and mechanics, and tons of quality-of-life improvements, what else do you need in a sequel?

A proficient sim-racer that brings a lot to the table - both in content and playability. Would have been great to see the base Xbox One version maybe lose a bit of the graphical sparkle in exchange for a 60 FPS lock, but that's more commentary of the power of the Xbox, rather than the game.

Whilst not all characters were incredibly likable with some characters being very cookie cutter archetypes, it’s well written and translated content makes it one of the most recommendable visual novels to play!

Bilikin’s Folly is a jolly adventure across the seas that makes treasure hunting fun, full of tricky puzzles and great characters, and the only time you’ll get frustrated is from your own folly.

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.

If you like Streets of Rage, there’s a good chance you’ll like this. It doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table but Qubyte has done a fine job of capturing the essence of the classic beat-em-ups of the ‘90s, and although there’s a little bit of repetitiveness in it, this is a title that’s worth playing.

Lilac 0 is a fun shoot-’em-up that provides a tough challenge, great for veterans of the genre but not too friendly for anyone fresh.

Accompany Roberto through 100 levels of enjoyable and inventive worlds as you help him carry his stick to his destination!

The Bard’s Tale IV revisits the classic dungeon-crawling formula from years past, simultaneously showing reverence for its history whilst not being afraid to change it up mechanically. Visually stunning with a wonderful Gaelic folk soundtrack to go with it.