Invincible VS does justice to the visual identity of the comic and TV show, something fans will definitely appreciate. Its alternate take on the story is also intriguing, even if it’s on the short sied at around two hours. That said, the pacing of the fights feels slower than expected, particularly with its tag-team mechanics, and some unusual changes to established genre mechanics end up feeling unnecessary and offer little benefit.

The Occultist is largely focused on building a series of atmospheric, Lovecraftian-inspired stages, and it succeeds in delivering a visually engaging aesthetic. The experience is supported by simple yet satisfying environmental puzzles. However, its storytelling feels bland, the voice acting is subpar in many cases, and the stalker-type enemies should have been removed entirely.

If nothing else, Replaced is a stunning pixel-art game set in a cyberpunk world. The developers clearly have a talent for crafting vibrant environments and detailed animations through the pixel-art style. Overall, it keeps you hooked with its exciting, if somewhat simplistic, combat and strong forward momentum. If only it didn’t rely so heavily on repetitive actions, like constant box pushing and unnecessary backtracking.

OPUS: Prism Peak tells a deeply personal story with genuinely earned emotional moments. It offers a unique take on the midlife crisis, filtering it through a magical prism that many older players will likely find relatable. However, it’s held back by an unnecessarily complicated notebook system and an overreliance on photography as a gameplay mechanic, which somewhat undermines the idea of the protagonist using an analogue camera.

Xenonauts 2 is a highly competent, albeit unofficial, successor to the original XCOM. Its old-school aesthetic may be an acquired taste, but fans of this niche genre will find a deep and challenging experience, both in base management and in combat, that is highly rewarding and benefits thoughtful tactical thinking.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss certainly nails its Lovecraftian atmosphere, especially in some truly daunting set pieces. Its environmental puzzles are also well implemented, offering a high level of challenge that fans of the genre will appreciate. If only the story lived up to the same standard.

As far as transitions from 2D to 3D go, the new Super Meat Boy proves that this is not inherently an improvement. Although there is a decent variety of levels, its serious lack of depth perception results in gameplay where you struggle more with the controls than with the level design itself. The bland visuals don’t help either.

Saros is a triumphant successor to Returnal, delivering an outstanding sci-fi experience. Its excellent visuals bring the planet Carcosa to life, while its fast, fluid combat remains consistently satisfying. Special praise should be given to the meticulously crafted audio, with an eclectic soundtrack and impactful sound design. Moreover, Housemarque demonstrates a clear evolution over its predecessor, refining an already memorable formula into one of the strongest experiences in the Sony Studios lineup.

There are myriad ways to customize the Miis and shape their lives through a variety of humorous situations. However, the game moves at a very slow pace, which proves to be its biggest drawback, as players are often left simply waiting for something to happen.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire does an excellent job of translating 1920s and ’30s cartoon aesthetics into an old-school FPS. It fully embraces its noir setting, delivering clever one-liners, energetic jazz, and a well-written, humor-filled conspiracy to unravel. It’s held back somewhat by repetitive shooting and limited enemy variety, but all in all, it stands as a charming and stylish tribute to a bygone cartoon era.

In the long line of so-called simulator games arrives Crime Simulator, another entry marred by repetition, questionable AI, and technical issues. While there’s some freedom in how missions can be approached, and a bit of fun in co-op, it ultimately delivers only the bare minimum expected of its premise.

Grime 2 confidently treads familiar metroidvania ground, embracing tried-and-true mechanics. While it doesn’t introduce anything particularly groundbreaking, fans of the genre will appreciate its deep combat system and challenging platforming sections, all supported by responsive and smooth controls. The entire experience is elevated by the imagination behind its vibrant world.

Vampire Therapist presents itself as a beautifully written visual novel, making excellent use of its psychoanalysis theme in a way that feels perfectly in sync with its fantasy characters. The voice cast delivers their performances with professionalism and charm, bringing a host of memorable characters to life. Together, they guide players through a wide range of life issues, each explored through uniquely imaginative perspectives.

Somewhere within Greedfall II lies a compelling blend of an intriguing story about colonisation and a well-designed real-time-with-pause combat system. However, it becomes difficult to appreciate its world-building and combat when the real battle is against a myriad of bugs and game-breaking issues, some severe enough to force a complete restart.

Capcom’s unstoppable streak of excellent titles continues.This time, it succeeds in a sci-fi setting, delivering stunning visuals and a deeply personal story between Hugh and Diana. Their relationship feels natural, heartfelt, and genuinely funny in all the right moments. More importantly, Pragmata achieves something truly unique, by introducing a fresh gameplay mechanic in the third-person shooter genre, seamlessly combining shooting and real-time hacking in a way that feels both innovative and satisfying.

Death Stranding 2 remains a highly imaginative continuation of the captivatingly macabre universe from the mind of Hideo Kojima. The PC version stands as the definitive edition thanks to its customizable technical options, offering breathtaking visuals and a smooth experience on modern systems.

Fatal Frame II returns with significant updates, enhancing its already excellent horror atmosphere through modernised visuals and effects. The addition of a stalker mechanic may be somewhat questionable, however, the new gameplay and story content are more than welcome for those who played the original. A 60fps mode on consoles would have been appreciated, though the 30fps performance isn’t a major hindrance to enjoying its well-crafted horror experience.

Everdark is an honest indie addition to the horror genre. While it doesn’t compete with big-budget productions, it delivers a brutal, nostalgic experience through well-crafted gameplay and effectively implemented survival horror elements. It’s on the shorter side and has some technical issues, but overall, fans of the genre will appreciate what it offers.

It goes without saying that the original Super Mario Bros. Wonder was an excellent 2D platformer, worthy of Mario’s legacy. This new edition retains that quality, but when it comes to new content, it lacks any truly exciting additions or levels. The new character feels like a repetition of existing ones, and the new transformation is underwhelming. New players will still have a blast, but those who already own the game won’t find enough here to justify the upgrade cost.

Bungie once again nails the shooting, delivering consistently satisfying combat moments in Marathon. Its retro-futuristic aesthetic and lore create a dilapidated sci-fi world that feels both mysterious and captivating. During traversal and tense firefights, as you attempt to extract valuable loot, the game offers a thrilling and engaging experience. However, it’s baffling how convoluted the menus are, creating unnecessary confusion even for simple tasks. Additionally, in its current state, the content feels somewhat lacking,though Bungie has promised to expand it in the near future.

Screamer is a truly unique racer, standing out thanks to its charming anime aesthetic, both on the track and in its well-crafted cutscenes. The characters are well written, even if the story is somewhat predictable. Thankfully, the driving model is up to par, offering a variety of nuanced mechanics within its arcade feel that keep the challenge high but fair. Unfortunately, it’s dragged down by a limited selection of courses and vehicles.

The only positive thing that can be said about this cheap Dark Souls imitation is that it actually starts when you press the button.

It may not be groundbreaking, but Toxic Commando still delivers unadulterated fun. No grind, no chores, just good old-fashioned zombie shooting. With three friends along for the ride, spreading mayhem across the map, it becomes a truly satisfying experience. As a bonus, John Carpenter’s signature synth soundtrack perfectly brings the grindhouse atmosphere to life.

The quality of the original Tales of Berseria is nothing short of praiseworthy. However, this review focuses on what the remaster brings to the table, and in that regard, the release is quite perplexing. It feels more like an overpriced patch than a true remaster, offering only a slight visual upgrade.

Crimson Desert is an enormously ambitious game, both figuratively and in scope. We’ve rarely seen a single-player experience this large, in terms of content and mechanical variety. Even 100 hours in, we’re still discovering new areas, traversal methods, and bosses. However, it also proves that no matter how high the quality of the content (at least in a single-player game) diminishing returns eventually set in. In the end, a mediocre story does little to support the experience, and the initial excitement gradually gives way to a dull sense of routine.

Anyone expecting a faithful transition of the God of War franchise into 2D will be sorely disappointed by Sons of Sparta. It lacks the raw violence of those games and the weight behind their attacks. Ultimately, it feels like a very typical metroidvania that struggles to stand out in such a highly competitive genre.

Crimson Capes is a modest indie metroidvania that earns plenty of personality points thanks to its use of the rotoscope technique, which gives it uniquely smooth animations. The combat is well designed, akin to the original Prince of Persia games but with more depth. Subpar platforming holds it back somewhat, hurting its exploration aspect, however, it still offers solid action with plenty of boss fights.

RIDE 6 builds on the strong foundation of the series, enriching its content with an impressive roster of motorcycles from many different disciplines. The newly introduced dirt bikes are its weakest addition and their presentation still needs improvement. Nevertheless, its rich career mode and well-designed driving model will keep aficionados busy for a long time.