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.

There's no way to dislike this, Red Dead Redemption was a fantastic game and still is today, but this is a shameless cash grab like no other.

Ride 5 is a step forward for the series and it is currently the best game on the current console generation in the motorcycle racing sports sub-genre.

Ascendant Studios' debut title is filled with greatness. Gorgeous visuals, a fun and intriguing story with memorable characters, engaging and thrilling combat and well balanced puzzles make up what's easily a must-play game.

Fort Solis is an atmospheric experience with impressive graphics and a slow, but interesting central narrative. But as a game it falls short on many parameters, with low interactivity, shoddy quick time events and exploration that rarely feels rewarding.

Armored Core VI is stunning and entertaining mecha action. Those familiar with FromSoftware know to expect a hard level of difficulty, but still the uneven difficulty curve becomes the worst part of the game. If you can live with it, it's hard to resist the charm of big robots.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is a really exciting experience, full of great ideas and atmosphere, but unfortunately is held back by the limited resources available to the developers.

Among other roguelikes, I can't say that Dust & Neon stands out in any way, as it relies on its charming theme and aesthetics while unfortunately never being particularly entertaining to actually play.

You have to hand it to Sabotage, Sea of Stars is an immensely precise gaming experience from start to finish, whether it's progression, challenge, combat or the surprisingly fun Wheels minigame. It's all polished, honed and checked to make sure it all works together.

As it stands, Fort Solis is an atmospheric experience with impressive graphics and a slow, but interesting central narrative. But as a game it falls short on many parameters, with low interactivity, shoddy quick time events and exploration that rarely feels rewarding. I can only imagine that the actual game parts were added mostly as an afterthought, and that's too bad, for what ultimately could have been pretty special just ends up being rather bland.

For the most part, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an absolutely wonderful interactive fiction adventure game. It's compelling, features genuine humour and emotion, has unique and ingenious mechanics, and importantly, is beautifully animated.

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.

If you're a fan of the genre, I'd say this is the best Metroidvania 2023 will see, and I also think it's a must for fans of the first one and a redemption for those who thought it was too stiff.

As with Evil Dead: The Game, this feels, to me, like wasted potential and an iconic film licence used in the wrong way, for the wrong kind of game.

Full 4K/120Hz support, crossplay, co-op, split screen multiplayer as well as online multiplayer, N64 maps, restored midi music... Everything is included here in a package that feels polished and clean in a way that today's games very rarely do.

Overall, it's a charming adventure and a good port of a couple of years old PlayStation 5 game. It fits well into the PC market and delivers brilliant technical graphics on the format.

Lisa: Definitive Edition is the best way to enjoy this tough story that engages and judges you as a player in a way that few games could offer, even among the big budget ones.

It's a story that will give you a few hours of fun, but won't be too memorable either.

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.

Baldur's Gate III impresses with strong stories, inviting personality, beautiful and varied environments, and an encouragement to experiment with the total freedom the game offers.

Jagged Alliance 3 pays homage to its predecessor and is one of the stronger turn-based titles of the year. It's intense, difficult and manages to enchant with its addictive gameplay. If you are completely new to the genre, it tries very hard to dissuade you to keep playing, but if you get comfortable with the set-up, everything changes.

Super Space Club is the perfect game for anyone looking to fill 30 minutes here and there. It's very easy to get into, it's entertaining and fun, and has enough variety so that it doesn't feel repetitive.

WrestleQuest is definitely the most unique game of the year for me. But I would also like to highlight it a little extra because it succeeds so well in everything it does. In true role-playing spirit, there is a lot to see and discover, and in true wrestling spirit, you take what happens in and outside the ring and make it feel like a natural part of the experience. There is certainly no shortage of well-crafted indie games, and even if WrestleQuest doesn't quite measure up to the very best, its humour, charm and above all unique concept is something that should really be rewarded.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might look like a game aimed at children, but it's not - the difficulty level is simply too high. It's more a game for those who are big fans of the first Crash Bandicoot and of Pandemonium and Klonoa, in which case Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might be some light summer entertainment for you.

Synapse has very nice game mechanics that are the basis for everything, but since everything only breathes "glorified tech demo", it is difficult for me to really spew out any real praise.

Venba is an interesting, thought-provoking, and emotional tale that is worth checking out. The cooking gameplay and the engaging narrative, matched up with the eye-catching and colourful South Indian cuisine-inspired colour palette make for an experience that is well worth the 1-2 hours it will take to complete it.

The Expanse shines as an alternative to the sleek space-age dream of franchises such as Star Trek, with its scrappy, survival sci-fi setting pairing perfectly with the gritty art-style and choice-driven narrative of Telltale Games.

This year's game is really, really good from a simulator point of view. Sure, the computer-controlled drivers can act like knuckleheads from time to time and visually the game is a bit hit or miss. But if, like me, you love F1 and dream of experiencing what it's like to pull the strings behind the scenes at one of the ten teams, then this is your best bet.