Sniper Elite: Resistance is exactly what you expect a Sniper Elite game to be and it's good and familiar comfort food for connoisseurs of the series.

Flock proved to be a game that creates the same warm and fuzzy feeling as putting on a jumper after a day out in the cold. It's a cosy, comfortable game that impresses with its visual style and soaring gameplay, but it's worth noting that the overall time you'll spend in Flock is a surprisingly short one, and without a real thread tying everything together as well, it can feel hollow at times.

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.

For a game that you can snag at a reasonable price tag of of £17, there's plenty that Quarantine Zone: The Last Check does right, so if you find yourself somewhat curious as to whether you have what it takes to man a screening checkpoint, then you won't go too wrong with this game.

I think the biggest sign of whether someone likes a Football Manager game is how addicted they are to that "just one more game" feeling. In previous years, I would get that at 9PM and suddenly it would be 4AM, but I haven't had that feeling with Football Manager 26. I now have no problem turning off the game when I think it's time, and that's very telling.

I do think Synced has potential. Its premise is unique and interesting, its characters are fun to play as and the gunplay remains solid for the most part. However, as of right now it does appear to be quite bare bones. You are getting the game for free, so there's bonus points for that, but those points are immediately countered by the rampant monetisation that hits you right off the bat.

This is Plants vs. Zombies as you know and love it, in the same manner as you can still easily access it elsewhere, meaning it's not really necessary to blow £18 to get that same experience once again, even if it does now have a shiny coat of paint brushed over it.

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.

Black Ops 7 might be just what you've been looking for. Maybe the frantic pace will appeal to you after the much more heavy-handed alternatives from competitors on the market, maybe the chaos will take shape as a challenge, an Everest that you and your friends must climb. Fair enough. For me, though? I think this feels miscalibrated.

Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club succeeds in immersing you in the world of Peanuts and adding some light-hearted fun to your gaming library, but while it might have got the atmosphere right and will be a fun adventure for younger fans, it's unlikely to impress the young at heart unless they're playing with younger family members.

The lack of depth makes Warlander a solid but ultimately forgettable experience, and if Toylogic wants this game to be a success in the months and potentially years to come, it's going to need a significant amount of changes.

There is clear quality and potential with Nobody Wants to Die, whether it's the aesthetic and worldbuilding, the performances and mysterious narrative, even the striking and detailed visuals, however, the gameplay itself leaves much to be desired. After four hours of completing what are essentially quick-time events to use many of the tools and systems in place and following a story that may as well be on rails, you begin to lose interest.

To sum up, I think it's a good game that I believe can entertain both fans of the series and fans of the genre, even if it needed some fine-tuning here and there. Above all, it's a game that reminds us why Cobra is still such an iconic and timeless hero - even if I personally prefer him in anime format. So now it's simply time for another rewatch.

This is not a game for both children and childish adults, unlike the Lego games, which are great for both. Goosebumps: Terror in Little Creek is simply too simple to be entertaining for adults as well. But if you have someone at home who loves the Goosebumps series, this game could be a good joint project in front of the screen, now that it's slowly getting colder and darker - and scarier - outside.

The Casting of Frank Stone will go down as a final chapter in this era of Supermassive, a chapter of highs and lows, but even though it has its faults there's definitely a lot of potential between a Supermassive and Dead by Daylight collaboration and hopefully we'll see this explored once again in the future.

Tchia is a game that has a lot of ambition, a great amount of passion, and heaps of charm. Yet, it cannot quite live up to the ideal version of itself.

I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to indulge in the fourth instalment of this beloved game series even though it really feels like it's old at its core, with the problems from that era of messy game mechanics and frustrating backtracking clearly shining through.

Considering it's their first project, I'm curious to see what they might do in the future, with a bit more experience and money. Unfortunately, the music is repetitive and the gameplay doesn't captivate me.

If you're up for a quirky little indie game with a top-notch soundtrack, you should check out Antro. It's worth the short playtime - and you'll be helping a small new developer at the same time.

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.

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.

It's as if Limited Run Games had plucked them from a bargain bin, where Sega's Marvel titles, Capcom's X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and The Punisher, among others, had already been snapped up. As mentioned, the aforementioned X-Men stands out with its fury, gorgeous pixels and genuine entertainment value, but otherwise it's too little, too late.

Although the journey felt a little too tiring towards the end and the game does not really engage with new game elements and fairly simple game mechanics, I still have to conclude by saying that I had quite a lot of fun all the way throughout. It would have taken quite a bit of polish to make this a masterpiece, but I still have to say that despite the modest score, it's a bit of a surprise of the year for me. Sure, in retrospect, it's one of those gaming experiences that I will hardly think back on, but I still had a surprisingly fun time during this journey.

I would describe Fairy Tail 2 as a game that does what it's supposed to do without showing off too much. Because all the systems fulfil their purpose. The characters feel elaborate without shining, the graphics are appealing without adding anything new, and the music and setting lull you into classic Japanese role-playing that sticks to the framework to the letter. However, there is nothing special that grabs your interest, but most of it feels well done without reaching further emotionally.

Minecraft Legends has a lot of good fundamentals, but usually doesn't take them all the way to the finish line. Defeating large enemy bases is incredibly satisfying and fun, but the lack of options to build your own large bases is disappointing.

The lack of content is worrying and desperate at times, and I'm unsure how or even if Unbroken can shake up the formula and introduce something fresh to keep people returning to this game hour-after-hour. It's a fantastic Wizarding World adaptation and a brilliant take on Quidditch, but that's all it is.

Although the game plays well, it can really only be seriously recommended for gamers who want to get a taste of the Soulslike genre and since it's sold at a fairly low price, it may be the best place to start your journey into a demanding genre.

Right now, the game is sorely lacking in content, but if they expand the number of playable monsters (its Pokédex), introduce more mechanics such as Terastallising, Gigantamax, or even the long-forgotten Z-Moves, it could offer greater variety. The question is how much of the (surely massive) player base will remain by then. Right now, it's all about the novelty and the fact it's free, but once everyone's had a go, will there be more than just the hardcore fanbase left? We'll see. For now, Pokémon Champions is a good introduction for new players, but the seasoned veterans will surely feel that something is missing.

On one hand, the short and tight nature of the experience, the eccentricity, and the fun movement keeps you entertained and consistently surprised. But at the same time, it comes across as a bit of a one-trick pony, a game that feigns depth and content variation and in reality struggles to be more than what's on the surface.

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.

With severe pacing issues in the first and third quarter, with frequent let-downs, and with a lukewarm ending, only fans like me will want to complete it, and even if there's some great talent involved here, the best news is that the technology is now ready to maintain more, and hopefully much better, games in the future.

In the end, I would describe Fairy Tail 2 as a game that does what it's supposed to do without showing off too much. Because all the systems fulfil their purpose. The characters feel elaborate without shining, the graphics are appealing without adding anything new, and the music and setting lull you into classic Japanese role-playing that sticks to the framework to the letter. However, there is nothing special that grabs your interest, but most of it feels well done without reaching further emotionally. If you're a fan of the series already, I can definitely see that you'll be more entertained than someone who's never met these characters before, but if, like me, you don't feel any connection to the world that makes up this colourful anime saga, you should probably wait for a greatly reduced price before you take on Fairy Tail 2.

Is it fun to have access to the variety of costumes and weird outfits? Sure, but at the same time this is still just the Dead Rising we've all known for years except with a much glossier coat of paint.

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.

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

I found myself in a bit of a love/hate relationship with Ten Dates. On one hand, my previously noted gripes continue to shine through, yet on the other hand, the part of me that loves a daft rom-com, can't help but have a silly grin plastered over my face while listening to Ryan and Misha put on a masterclass of silly flirting

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.

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.

So it might look like I'm nit-picking here, but coming from Super Mario Party Jamboree, you expect greatness and maximum care. And don't get me wrong, this doesn't make the original game any worse. You should still definitely buy it on Switch 2 if you never got it on the original system, as it remains the king of parties, and even if I'm telling you that you'll enjoy it more with a plugged-in camera, and that the Mouse mini-games are solid additions, Jamboree TV as a next-gen upgrade lands like a bad roll.

For all its faults, the charm of Mario Tennis Fever did shine through in the end. In these sporty spinoffs, it's important to remember that fun is at the core of the experience, and while there were some detractors from that, I kept coming back time and time again to see if I could take on the latest Trial Tower, or just see if I could take my main man Diddy Kong to the heights of the Mario Tennis world.

If you haven't already purchased this colourful adventure, there's definitely a case for buying it, but for veterans, it's perfectly fine to stick with the version you already have without feeling like you're missing out on anything worth writing home about.

It's entertaining in glimpses, no doubt about it, but from combat to meta upgrades, from static storytelling to a slightly half-baked daily gameplay loop, it's not like Eternal Strands offers a lot, but it also manages to telegraph pretty clearly to the player that it also fails to fully realise the ideas that are here. This isn't a disaster, but it is, unfortunately, an example of a game that fumbles with priorities, and it shows.

Darkest Dungeon II is still promising, but lacks meat around its bones. The 3D art style has been a success, but many changes to core mechanics are either underbaked or too plain, and the user interface needs more love.

I can't say that I feel that Beyond Doors is an experience I will carry with me for a long time. In many ways, it doesn't feel like much more than a shrug of the shoulders, but it's a pretty harmless and light-hearted pastime that lasts for around two hours if you feel like doing some puzzles.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a better detective-exploration-puzzle-adventure than it is a Metroidvania and if you've decided to give it a go, it must be because you love exploring the environment, finding clues and solving puzzles.

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is a welcome return to the golden age of point-and-click, despite some shortcomings. Like the characters themselves, the game is flawed and you have to go through quite a bit of agony to get to the end of the game. But at the same time, the game does deliver a truly haunting tale, going places where few other games dare.

So long story short, Super Meat Boy 3D comes across as a game that doesn't evolve the series but rather takes it down a different path it doesn't need to explore. The theme, the tone, the style, it all still comes across as authentically Super Meat Boy, but the gameplay has a slightly uncomfortable edge where it doesn't quite feel right for one reason or another. Super Meat Boy may be back but this isn't the character in top form.

One issue that Minabo may face is that, beyond its amusing names based on spanish jokes, and what I'm sure has been the most effective marketing campaign in the history of Spanish game development, people may not take it seriously.

It's full of content, and fans of the series should definitely check out this instalment as well. Because if you've immersed yourself in the Like a Dragon series, this is probably an essential to add to your gaming library. I would have liked it to feel less dated and stiff. But for now, there are a few too many small details to get hung up on.

I have fun when I play but it is also a bit thin on content and becomes extremely repetitive quite quickly.

All the action is very entertaining, once again, but there are moments when you feel that it becomes a little too streamlined and simple to lose some of the entertainment value that was there last time.

It's yet another shooter in an already overcrowded genre and despite Carpenter's name and the (at times) beautiful aesthetics, there's nothing here that stands out or makes you react. Fun in small doses? Absolutely. But something you'll be talking about in a year's time? Hardly.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand it has interesting and compelling characters and plenty of dialogue options to explore, but on the other hand, it isn't the most immersive or engaging game.

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.

Exoprimal is by no means a terrible game, but it just doesn't reach the heights that you'd expect when you hear about its premise. It's a mixed bag, but if you are looking for a new multiplayer experience and can withstand the Dino Survival mode, perhaps it's the game for you.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is an underwhelming experience. I had expected more solid craftsmanship and a lot more flair from the first spinoff since 2010. But Mega Cat Studios, Barlog and Santa Monica shouldn't lose heart, because the idea is good enough. I just expected more from the execution.

If you're a big fan of puzzle-platformers, Once Upon a Puppet might be an okay experience - others should probably avoid this otherwise unique theatre adventure.

Star Overdrive largely feels like a good demo of a great game. There are some really strong core elements like the hoverboard travel, the mysterious story, and the visual style, but these are equally countered by the negatives. The sandbox structure of Star Overdrive seems to work against it, only serving to hide the positives and make the lifeless map and combat stick out like a bit of green in its red and tan world.

On the one hand, there's a simple charm in this and all the elements, however unoriginal, work just fine. But Khazan's journey also feels very monotonous. Despite the new elements that are introduced during the game, it feels mostly without finesse and never anything more than just okay. Now, The First Berserker: Khazan does capture the very essence of an action role-playing game and doesn't try to be much more than that. For me it's a bit too simple but if that's what you're looking for and have been longing for, there are definitely reasons to give it a chance.

Sassy Chap Games did not succeed here, because the good stories are overshadowed by boredom when you go from one room to another just to talk to another character in your house. You have to be more than usually fond of short stories and quirky characters to stay interested in Date Everything! for any length of time.

Escape Simulator 2 is a well-built, solid, and fun game that suffers from a flawed hint system and a difficulty curve that is far too steep.

If you are a newcomer to gaming and open-world games, then Outbound is a reasonable first recommendation for you to play. It's simplistic, low-stakes, cosy camping fun with accessible puzzles and foraging elements that are even better experienced as a multiplayer game.

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.

I have mixed feelings about AEW: Fight Forever. It's really fun to play and it's top-notch arcade wrestling when everything works in the ring, but unfortunately that doesn't always mean it's not pretty devoid of content.

The foundation and the ideas you have here are absolutely good, but the execution is a little too simple.

That "make or break" statement from the developers really made it seem like we were going to see something very special, which we haven't. Some prettier animations and smarter quarterbacks don't save this from being an okay game at best.

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.

Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections does a half-hearted job of celebrating both Naruto's 20th anniversary as an anime and 15 years of the Ninja Storm series.

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.

I would have loved to have enjoyed my time with Raccoo Venture more than I did, because we need good old platform games like we saw in the 1990s, but Raccoo Venture never quite gets there.

I would have liked to see Afterimage get at least six more months in the oven before being released to the world and my recommendation is to wait and see what the developers decide to do with the title. Because more work is clearly needed here to really do the game's potential justice and bring it to the finish line.

There is untapped potential here, there is some repetition and although parts are charming, I can't really say that I feel particularly entertained after a few hours of World of Goo 2, as if anything it feels a bit old.

If you're the type who loves exploring every corner of a game world and leisurely moving through a slightly cluttered game world, this could be a great way to pass the time.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is still one of the finest 2D platformers in recent memory, so there's still that going for this upgrade and pack, but at the same time, if you can save yourself close to £20 and simply buy the base game and leave it at that, I wouldn't discourage doing so, as Meetup in Bellabel Park and the Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade is simply not must-have content.

I applaud the insistent focus on combat, but En Garde! deserves more; a plot, environments waiting to be explored, real progression. None of that is here, so while the game's core is well-designed and robust, it's a bit too slim an experience to get a wholehearted recommendation from me.

Star Trek in game format has often not been synonymous with quality and unfortunately this time it is not a hit either. The story is interesting and the characters are generally colourful and well written. However, it is hard to give these characters more life and we have to deal with the stiff animations and the weak voice acting unfortunately.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion entertains when it works. The real fun comes when you flip the online switch. The three-player co-op throws you all into the jaws of death with shiny steel buttcheeks, comparing wannabe-mech builds that are either brilliantly clever or laughably stupid. Unfortunately, too many issues pile up, so I treat the game the same way it teaches me to treat armour and upgrades: I'll swap to a better dance partner as soon as one comes along.

NHL 24 is NHL 23 with some, but far too few, great additions. The Exhaust Engine is a welcome addition, but what does it add when almost everything is last year's game, down to using the same intro and cutscenes in career mode.

This is a well made and fun game, with great art and a quality multiplayer offering, but it's held back by overwhelming and demanding crafting, RPG, and progression that takes the sting and thrill out of the broader experience.

Code Vein II pales in comparison to many others. If you've experienced the best in the genre, this simply feels several levels below. It's not just about the enormous strengths of those games, but unfortunately more about the weaknesses of this game and the fact that the areas that needed to be more polished unfortunately aren't.

Mafia: The Old Country is a perfectly decent action game. It's clear that the ambition was to offer some kind of hybrid between linear and open world gameplay. The developers wanted to tighten up the experience to make it engaging, well-directed, and grandiose, but even though I personally worship open worlds, I would have preferred to see them lean even more towards streamlining this. In an action game of this kind, which is also quite short, I simply think that there should have been more variety and a significantly higher tempo to make it feel more engaging in the end.

It's clear that the developers have put time and passion into creating a cosy adventure that doesn't hold your hand too much, and that puts a lot of emphasis on providing a tranquil environment to relax in. In other words, there is potential, and if you like games like Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and Graveyard Keeper, it might be worth checking out One Lonely Outpost.

The core of Crash Team Rumble is a lot of fun with an engaging concept, cool-looking levels, thrilling score-chases and heart-pounding chaos unfolding on the screen. The problem is that this isn't enough when there's no depth or variety in there to keep it engaging for more than an hour or two.

It’s fun to kill a few hours and hack your way through the underworld but it is hardly something I will return to.

As it stands right now, the game is one that does act as a solid introduction to Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the RTS genre, or both. A great look, decent battles, and plenty of customisation make the Realm of Beasts inviting despite it not being the perfect holiday destination.

It's simple to pick up and understand, has interesting mechanics and systems, and a vibrant and colourful world. Just don't expect to be blown away by what Tequila Works has built here, because it's, all in all, a very predictable and familiar title buffed with a League of Legends polish.

Despite the disappointment that this didn't reach higher heights, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is still okay, but doesn't reach past that except for a few points. It's mainly my personal experience with the game's story and how it's presented that is the biggest obstacle for this to reach the same kind of feeling I got from the adventure I took part in seven years ago. The predecessor simply felt much more memorable than this, which can be seen as a small failure.

It's simple, very simple at that, but hey, this game has a very clear vision of what it wants to be, and from a design and mechanical perspective it achieves that vision with flying colours. Does it work and is it effective? In part. There is entertainment value, enough that it will keep you engaged for upwards of an hour at a time, however, there's no denying that this won't be the same indie sensation as say, Vampire Survivors. If you're even marginally curious about how such an unorthodox game performs in practice, I'd simply suggest checking it out, because with Berserk or Die you could either permanently add a game to your collection, or get half a pack of V-Bucks... I know what I'd prefer to do with my money.

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.

For me, there's just not quite "enough" here to call this an ambitious sequel, and the lack of distractions from the otherwise solid loop made the loop a bit monotonous in the long run.

Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 6 doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before. In fact, we've seen almost everything in previous years.

Synduality: Echo of Ada tries to break into a crowded market with new ideas, but it doesn't feel like it's been baking in the oven long enough. It doesn't take long before it starts to feel repetitive and the enemies feel mostly dull. Bandai Namco will need to update the live service game regularly to keep players interested. The foundation is there, with responsive and fun mecha action, but unfortunately it doesn't go all the way as problems quickly start to pile up.

Even though I consider myself someone who is good at interpreting art and who loves quirky and mysterious games, Dreams of Another goes over my head.

Deliver at All Costs stands out as a game that might hook you in the opening hour, but as the hours continue to roll on, you steadily lose your drive to continue as fewer and fewer fresh reasons to be excited are introduced.

While it's certainly impressive that Frogwares have managed to develop Sherlock Holmes The Awakened in just about a year and under terrible circumstances, the short development cycle is clearly evident in some areas. Ultimately the game feels caught between two worlds - not quite reaching the level of modern cinematic adventures and not being challenging enough to please fans of classic point-and-click games.

I love the concept of this game and I think it has potential for the future, there are just simply too many areas that all work against each other for God of Rock to be able to stand tall on its own right now.

The first few hours of Meet Your Maker are interesting, fun and challenging, but after a while the magic that draws you in to begin with disappears.

Lunark is in many ways an entertaining indie game with numerous good ideas. The pixel graphics are one of several reasons why it has a charm that is hard to resist, but the game is mainly a voyage to how games used to feel in many respects.