If you're looking for a nostalgic multiplayer action game that you can play with the family (there's also split-screen here), then Hypercharge: Unboxed is not a bad option at all.

Crow Country is a very well-composed horror adventure that blends the best of the past without us having to pull our old Sega Saturn out of the closet.

I like the quirky charm of the game and the puzzles are something I always personally enjoy. As so often, this works very well in VR. However, the game itself feels a bit too stripped down and doesn't really do much new for the format itself.

The gunplay, Descendant options, buildcrafting, visuals and graphics, action, cooperative systems, these all work hand-in-hand to make this an promising experience. It's just hampered in so many other places that make me frustrated and tired of playing.

It's still a pleasant platformer with interesting gameplay mechanics, varied and detailed unique locations to explore, a broad list of enemy types to face and overcome, and lots of secrets to find hidden in nooks and crannies. But at the same time, this HD remaster is inferior to Luigi's Mansion 3 in pretty much every conceivable metric, and there's not a strong enough sense of nostalgia here to save it.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is still the most fun I've had with the series in over 20 years, and I'm actually at the time of writing looking forward to taking my Switch with me on vacation to break my own records. I just wish Sega would scale back production, as less is more here. Trying to add a story in this case is as relevant as trying to improve Tetris with a tale of missing blocks, rival gangs and Tetrominos speaking in fake children's voices in a made-up language. It wasn't for their delightful personalities that I once learned to love AiAi, MeeMee, Bano and GonGon - but because they were in an incredibly good game.

It's almost hard to do Selaco justice with words, and even at this early stage the game is packed with content, which certainly makes you dream of what's to come when they finally leave Early Access sometime next year. [Early Access Score = 90]

Destiny 2: The Final Shape is not for everyone, it's for the veterans and the players who have stuck by this game year-after-year-after-year, and it's precisely this that makes it such a brilliant end product. It's crammed to the brim with content, has hugely impactful and important story developments, takes risks that pay off with mechanics and gameplay, and all in a new location that is dripping with nostalgia while being effortlessly gorgeous.

FromSoftware hasn't reinvented itself with the expansion, but I think they've created their best piece of content yet, both from an aesthetic and, more importantly, a design standpoint.

The Chinese Room has succeeded brilliantly with their original pitch of The Thing on an oil rig, while infusing the horror with the emotion that characterised a game like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. It's the kind of game that, with relatively few mechanics, manages to create immersion with great sound design, evocative visuals and believable storytelling.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is a great conversion of the PlayStation game and should be experienced for its magical atmosphere and combat system. Although the story and missions have been seen before, the game is filled with innovative design choices that I highly recommend.

I'm glad that MultiVersus is back again. It's a damn fun multiplayer game, though I feel Player First Games and Warner have made it strangely difficult for themselves. Removing things from the beta (which was criticized for having too little content) just feels odd and the fact that the netcode is no better than it was, is beyond comprehension.

After all these years of development and polishing, there is no doubt that Natural Motion has produced one of the most well-made mobile games I have tried in years.

F1 24 builds on the tradition and offers the most complete and bold representation of the sport you can find on console or PC. Both online and offline, there's plenty to do and the racing is just as absorbing as ever.

Robobeat is an outright euphoric experience, especially a number of hours in with many weapons and abilities unlocked. Because there and then, as you bounce around the rooms, delivering viciously quick deaths to the beat of the lush soundtrack, the outside world disappears completely.

As it is, with its few pitfalls, it isn't quite as refined as I would have hoped, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to love and appreciate in worldbuilding, narrative, character design, and presentation. Spitfire Interactive has taken some risks with this game, not all of them have paid off, but there's definitely still a lot of potential and promise with this game all the same.

Duck Detective falls short, even though it works in a way. It's not bad, but the whole thing reeks of unrealised potential, and I really hope Happy Broccoli gets the chance to give this formula another shot, because the concept is downright brilliant. It's also much better than the actual game that sprang from it.

It took me about four hours to play through Mullet Mad Jack and after about half of my playing time, I felt pretty fed up with the monotonous environments and the corridors that everything takes place in.

To cut to the chase, the technical performance is just not good enough. However, this can all be forgiven, because with fairly simple means Odd Meter manages to build a seamless gaming experience that entertains along the way and leaves you with food for thought.

Ubisoft has something very special on their hands here, but if this launch version of XDefiant is even a marginal sign of this game's future, it will not survive. It's free so check it out and play it for a couple of days, but you'll probably go back to Call of Duty or Halo or Overwatch or any other shooter after that because there's a distinct lack of depth here and the fluidity and refined design isn't really an element that makes this game stand out from its competitors.

I can't help but feel as though Hauntii is missing something else to fill some of the gaps and to help pry your eyes away from the more conflicting areas. There's a charm to this game, you can feel it while playing, but it never quite comes out in practice and while I do see brilliance in some areas of this indie project, it also never quite managed to hook me along the way.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a fantastic RPG that stands out as a unique gem of the genre. It's not afraid to be whimsical and strange, nor does it compromise on making the theme of a Paper Mario game come to life with its interesting abilities and mechanics.

When Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits these high points, it's impossible not to completely indulge in Ninja Theory's bleak vision of the Viking Age. The often unforgettable scenes practically transform it into a visual poem, and in these moments, it couldn't matter less that the game's mechanical components are smoother and more superficial, because it's more of an interactive experience than a traditional game.

System Shock is a deeply fascinating game, and with such a well-made remake, there's no reason to hold back if you want to experience a piece of evocative, well-designed and frustrating gaming history.

For those looking for a strategy game to plug away at for the rest of May, Songs of Conquest may just be the ticket. It's crammed with content, has a polished sheen that many other games fail to achieve, is easy to pick up and play, and has systems that make even its more complex elements approachable or surmountable.

If you enjoy Two Point games, and management simulation titles altogether, you'll no doubt have a lot of fun with Galacticare, but don't expect an experience of the same degree of refinement as some of the other titans in this space.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an aesthetically pleasing, cognitively challenging and narratively stimulating experience of the kind we rarely get to enjoy, and I already miss the obsession of unravelling all its secrets.

Paper Trail is a really nice puzzle game, but it didn't quite blow me away. There's nothing wrong with it as such, and the various puzzles should provide a good amount of challenge, but it feels like something is missing.

After a few hours it really starts to be felt that this game would benefit from more atmospheric music, for longer periods. Minus that, I have no complaints about this lovely indie gem.

It's clear as day that Blackbird Interactive has a love for the brand. Everything both sounds and looks as you would hope it would, and the overall whole is a step forward from the original in a good way.

MotoGP 24 continues on the trodden path of good gameplay in the series. The motorbike feel is excellent, but unfortunately it suffers from the same problem as most sports games where there isn't too much new from last year.

Little Kitty, Big City is a charming indie that animal lovers should not overlook. Despite occasional technical hiccups on the Switch, the game's playful objectives and whimsical atmosphere create an engaging experience.

While its short length and navigation issues may deter some, its adorable cosmetics, amusing emotes, and plethora of quests ensure a heartwarming journey for players of all ages.

If you want an action-RPG a la Diablo, where you can become the dark overlord and build your own kingdom, V Rising is the most obvious option.

The best way to describe King Arthur: Legion IX is that it's just more Knight's Tale, because there's not enough truly unique and fresh elements to make this game stand out above or beyond its predecessor.

I think the VR format is utilised very well, the visuals and atmosphere are brilliant and the horror is effectively done. But at the same time, it is dragged down by gameplay frustrating things and some design around puzzles that do not work in a satisfactory way.

No Rest for the Wicked is a diamond in the rough that just needs to have a few unsharp facets polished so that it can shine as it deserves. [Early Access Score = 80]

If you love, or are very curious about marine life, and if you're looking for a casual water exploration experience (I think it lacks excitement to be called an adventure), this works like a relaxing, occasionally fascinating interactive documentary that will pacify your own mind and body before going to bed.

I can't recommend TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants to anyone, not even the most dedicated fans. Sure, it can be played through without any pesky bugs, but with a price tag of $30 for a mere hour of so-called "entertainment", it doesn't feel acceptable anywhere.

I will now put Phantom Fury on the shelf for a few months to return later this summer, when Slipgate Ironworks will hopefully have had time to balance the experience and improve the feel of the relatively substantial arsenal of weapons that the game presents. Because there is undeniably a lot to be impressed, amazed and entertained by here, even if it is in a relatively unpolished form at the time of writing.

Lunar Lander Beyond struggles to entertain and engage the player, mostly due to the fact that the core and base gameplay feels outdated and sluggish. While we can all thank Lunar Lander for being the predecessor to Asteroids, in the year 2024 that unfortunately doesn't make me want to play or dive back into this game any more.

Another Crab's Treasure emerges from its shell as a refreshing and whimsical addition to the often intense and cryptic realm of Souls-like games. Its accessibility options make it a great point of entry for newcomers and genre veterans will appreciate differences such as its open world design, greater focus on platforming, and its many equippable shells.

Manor Lords is a fantastically assembled city builder for those of you with some patience and an interest in history. It's more reminiscent of The Settlers and Banished than something like SimCity, yet at the same time, it has battles in certain situations that bring to mind Total War, all while still being something all on its own. [Early Access Score = 80]

As a role-playing game, there are simply a lot of Japanese adventures that are better, but combined with the very open world and the ability to explore as much as you want, as well as Toriyama's lovely design and "straightforward" storytelling, it still makes for a fascinating bit of fun.

All in all, I think Stellar Blade is actually a pleasant surprise and a pretty exciting game. It doesn't follow the usual templates for how action games should be put together and that means some strange and sudden changes in style along the way - but in the end, it's actually very refreshing.

It is clearly a well-made version of tennis as a game and is at its very best during nerve-wracking matches where it really captures how well tennis actually works with its controls.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a fun game that is best suited for those of you somewhat new to the genre and/or want to reflect on the different stages of grief.

For all of us who loved games like Suikoden, Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, and other similar games from the mid-90s, I think you will enjoy this game very much, as it's a reminder of a bygone era in role-playing history.

Sker Ritual might mark a bold departure from its predecessor, but it's still a solid hoard shooter that is certain to impress Call of Duty Zombies fans.

There is a hint of imagination that still makes it fairly fun, but at the same time it feels rather visually boring and in the end it is just a fine adventure both as a game and as an experience in VR.

If you're looking for a more work-friendly substitute to Stardew Valley, this may be just the quiet place you need.

Sure, if you like visual novels where sensual topics are dealt with quickly and soullessly, there might be some joy to be found here, but there are certainly (not that I know anything about it...) better and cheaper solutions if you're willing to do a little research and aren't afraid of a potentially embarrassing web history.

Harold Halibut is a lovely treat of a game. Short, sweet, packed with individuality and amazing characters made even more loveable by impressive voice performances, it is a game forged from pure passion.

I wish there was just 10% more though, just a little extra dimension that could give the game a little more depth, but at the same time it's pretty clear that Buckshot Roulette is exactly what the creator wanted, and that's something to admire.

Gigantic: Rampage Edition is a fun third-person shooter MOBA mix, but its ability to leave a lasting impression will vary. Its matchmaking is quick and full of action, but a lack of depth can often make games feel repetitive, when the key to a good multiplayer game is usually having repetitive mechanics but making each match feel unique.

The game is overall an excellent conversion of the PlayStation game. The main story is super cool and the graphics are gorgeous. There are a few niggles here and there, but Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent game that should be experienced by as many people as possible.

It's not a flawless project and it has its vices, but the setup, the simplicity, and the minor elements that all work hand-in-hand to make this feel more premium.

Withering Rooms manages to captivate with a good atmosphere, but behind this there are some elements that also unfortunately feel a bit too simple.

A low introductory price, a simple structural premise that allows for mechanical quirks and a well-constructed aesthetic - what's not to like? Well, as with some indie games there's a slight mismatch in the amount of mechanical variety, the number of active systems and the overall length of the experience.

Botany Manor is an ideal Game Pass game. It's easy, charming, vibrant, and sweet. This is a puzzler that has just the right balance of challenge and simplicity, and the first-person setup and the wonderful presentation make for an immersive experience in a world you want to explore. It doesn't quite have the narrative depth of Call of the Sea, the ingenuity of Viewfinder, or the mechanical excellence of Maquette, but looking at the overall package, as far as immersive sim puzzlers go, this is a fine addition to the collection.

I wouldn't describe the console edition as being the definitive version of Planet Zoo, but it's still a solid port of the game that animal lovers have been hungering for for years.

Ario is not in a state where it is ready to be put up for sale and therefore cannot be recommended in any way.

Blood Strike is a decent battle royale that's good enough to kill a few hours here and there.

If I judge it on the premise that you get a really cool and fun trip into virtual reality, this is in many ways absolutely fantastic, but as a game it is rather something that stops at being good.

It's a bit of a shame that Pepper Grinder doesn't stick the landing because there are elements of brilliance here, and the drilling platforming, the boss battles, the art direction and the world that Ahr Ech has created is all fantastic, it just needs that little bit extra to take it from being good to being something great.

The problem I have with MLB The Show 24 is nothing on the pitch, where it is fantastic. Instead, it's that it's starting to feel old. Every year I get a sense of deja vu. It's the same game as last year. I'd love to see the series get a real fresh start next year.

With creators Matt and Trey taking the reins on projects such as Stick of Truth and The Fractured but Whole, it seemed that the dark age of South Park games was behind us, but unfortunately, Snow Day marks a significant step back for the series.

Whether you're a dedicated fan of the sport, or just looking for some straightforward racing, there's something here for you. New Star GP is fast-paced and just as challenging, with plenty of charm and personality and an impressive career mode.

We have a hard time recommending Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator as it stands. There is potential here, but the developers need to get a handle on the AI, because as it is right now, it ruins a big part of the experience of the game.

Anglerfish is definitely not for everyone. The game is a bit masochistic at times, and if you believe that games should be fun all the time, well, you should look for other experiences.

In my experience, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles keeps you entertained in different ways at all times. There's no stress about resources, but you will be busy scouting for captains, defending trade routes and optimising resource flows in your cities. And if you're really just into relaxing and city building, there's always the Free Build mode that's as casual and relaxing as it gets. It's a game I've really enjoyed playing so far and in my eyes it lives up to its promise of being a relaxing, sandbox city builder. My only real point of criticism is that I keep struggling with the controls using a PlayStation 5 controller. But other than that, for the price you pay on launch this is definitely worth a try if you're into city building games.

Despite the fact that Princess Peach: Showtime! has some brilliant elements and is effortlessly fun, it is clear that it feels like a safer and more rudimentary offering from Nintendo. But, for younger folk or those less familiar with gaming or the world of Mario, there is heaps of fun to be had with this game.

Rise of the Ronin is going to draw a lot of comparisons as more people get their hands on it, and even though it does take inspiration from a lot of successful games, Team Ninja's work in creating a great action RPG packed with addictive combat, excellent traversal, and a story that keeps you hooked throughout should not be diminished.

All in all, I think Dragon's Dogma 2 is a great proposition for the RPG genre and a title that delivers on many of its promises of great adventures for players. But despite its many good things, its interesting story and the wonderful feeling of exploration and living a truly unusual adventure, the game has those technical issues that fail to deliver a product as well rounded as it could be.

I want nothing more than to like Alone in the Dark, in fact it was one of my more anticipated games of March, but the more time I've spent with this game, the harder it has become to do so. Sure, updates and fixes will address the performance issues and perhaps even fine tune and improve the enemies, combat, and ammo economy, but there are more significant core elements that require more work with this game.

With an interesting story, well told and respectful of the original, albeit with a rushed final stretch and some loose ends that make us think of a possible expansion or sequel, Outcast: A New Beginning is a rara avis, a special game made with love by a small studio that reveres the original work and is a worthy successor that sometimes surprises by the scale of its aspirations.

Is it all a bit pointless? Perhaps, that would certainly be a potential criticism of the game at the time of writing, and given that there are no survival mechanics whatsoever (you don't need food or water yourself), experiencing this alien world with friends might help to give the game a bit of a spark. However, you could also turn it around and say that Lightyear Frontier is truly one of the most relaxing games I've played in years. Does the fact that there's nothing to push you beyond just getting your hands on enough resources to craft the next thing you need affect your motivation? Maybe, but for now, this is both beautiful to look at, enjoyable to listen to and really well put together [Early Access Score = 80]

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a relaxed and slow-paced adventure, and sometimes that is what you need between shooters and action games.

As a turn-based strategy game, it works well, there are many strategic options and some replay value, as the game has 15 endings that you will experience depending on which missions you choose to take during the campaign. However, it also feels like it never quite hits its stride and there are a few issues with some key mechanics - stealth, for example.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is an absolute triumph, and may very well be the best yet from Nightdive. With only a few minor flaws, this space adventure is dangerously close to the perfection that Quake Remastered delivered last year.

If you can shrug off the many archetypes, dry dialogue and a handful of sexist character designs, then there are many, many hours of deeply engaging strategy to be had here.

The Thaumaturge is stuffed with ideas that sound great on paper, but the end result may have bitten off more than it can chew, as a lot of its concepts feel undercooked without delivering on their grandiose aims.

WWE 2K24 continues on the same nice track that the train has been on for a few years since WWE 2K20 went off the rails. It's fun to play, looks great, has many varied game modes and match types, and a nice tribute to Wrestlemania's 40-year history.

After an almost seven-year hiatus, The Outlast Trials makes for a bold return for the series, one that takes it in a surprising new direction, but doesn't compromise on what made the previous two titles so compelling for horror fans.

The Mobius Machine is a fine 2D action-adventure that doesn't go too far wrong, but doesn't take many chances either. The gaming world is vast and there are many challenges out there - and the high level of difficulty and punishing nature of the game may not be for everyone.

Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is still an incredibly solid start for KillPixel, and after a few patches it will surely flourish even more.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is a blissful mix that results in a fantastic end result. It's as stylish as it is entertaining, relaxing as it is pleasantly frustrating, but overall it's really something you should experience for yourself.

This is still a great adventure experience except now it uses graphics that befits its entertaining gameplay. This is a remake that is as pure as the term can get, it's not doing a whole lot to differ from the original product, or even adding much that's worth harping on about beyond its visual and performance enhancements. If you've never played this game before, I would suggest picking this title up as the story is fantastic albeit very sad, but if you have already played the original game, there's not too many reasons to necessitate returning to it here.

At the end of the day, there's nothing really wrong with NBA Infinite and the ambition level is high, but microtransactions and tough game controls mean that my rating stays at a weak six.

Balatro really is a fantastic, ingenious, and genuinely unique game. It features the perfect blend of simplistic and accessible game mechanics matched up with broad, deep, and complex mathematical systems that will entertain and challenge seasoned card players.

It is a shame that Ubisoft has chosen to use the surely costly Invincible licence in this way. The setup doesn't fit Invincible and its characters, the game mechanics are so automated that it never even feels like I'm participating as a player and the story is ridiculously thin and uninteresting.

I found myself pretty torn on Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. It combines three classic PS1 games in one package and these now look and play even better than they ever have done before. On the other hand though, its archaic features such as manual saves, awkward camera, and hard to master controls, I can see presenting a barrier to entry for newcomers.

Equally gorgeous and grotesque in the way you'd expect Hell to be, full of depth and intricate mechanics that are worth the time to learn, Solium Infernum feels like a wonderfully wicked addition to the grand strategy subgenre.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth does justice to its origins by beautifully updating it for a contemporary audience, while daring to tinker with some of the things that some fans might consider sacrilege.

Promenade is a great game that I still find just as solid and engaging as when I first encountered it. If you're interested in a platformer that's different and offers an extra dose of puzzles, this is definitely one of those indies you shouldn't miss.

Pacific Drive could one day be something special, one of those wonderful indie darlings that really puts the studio on the map. Keep an eye out for it, because this idea is just so damn cool.

I don't think Skull and Bones is as rotten as some of the other live service games we've seen in the past. Assuming it survives a few years, the addition of a variety of new content can work in favour of this game, filling out its world and making the experience less dreary and repetitive. There are core elements that work and show lots of potential, but right now Ubisoft hasn't given them much of a leg to stand on as everything around them is poor and not befitting the standard of what you'd expect from a AAA production.

At the end of the day, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is simply, effortlessly fun, and that's what you come to the moustachioed plumber for.