My time with Dread Delusion left me with so many questions… I’ve just thought of another one: The experience points you earn for completing quests, then use to level up your skills, why are they called delusions? Like, what does THAT say about where all this is really headed? So, so many questions. Following its progress through Early Access should be fascinating. You should dive in and see if you can touch the bottom. [Early Access Score = 80]

Despite a couple of the Russian levels breaking some new ground, for the most part Vanguard remains a series of narrow shooting galleries that you’ve seen and played countless times by now. Ultimately, like most Call of Duty games, you spend an awful lot of time crouched behind a waist-high wall, waiting to shoot a man in the head as he peers over his waist-high wall. That’s possibly a pointless criticism, but having just suffered through Call of Duty: Vanguard’s vacuous and derivative campaign, such a banal observation feels like the most fitting conclusion. [Campaign Score = 40]

Wiping the floor with your stupendous army can be fun, but is it as fun as being a clever underdog or meticulous planner? There’s great satisfaction in winning a battle that is challenging, but fair. Songs of Conquest was the experience I was actually looking for when I purchased HOMM 7 recently. It’s bewildering that something as simple as a creature cap, and a few other significant tweaks, could transform an intensely familiar genre experience into a new game that I was excited to learn all over again. [Early Access Score = 100]

It’s always tricky to evaluate an unfinished Early Access game that is designed entirely around a linear, single-player campaign. On the evidence thus far, Gloomwood understands its lineage as an immersive sim, and appreciates why Thief remains so beloved as a pure stealth game some twenty-odd years on. But whether it can emerge from the shadow of Thief and find its own identity very much remains to be seen. [Early Access Review]

In breaking away from tradition, Dinkum has the potential to be something truly great. It should certainly reckon with its ties to Indigenous Australia before development advances – but there’s magic in this adventure that makes it certain Dinkum will escape the shadow of its predecessors, in time. [Early Access Score = 80]

Even in its early access state, Disney Dreamlight Valley nails the cosy game formula. It’s such a treat to play, and offers a refreshing, peaceful refuge. It recaptures some of that elusive magic and wonder I felt from the Disney franchise as a kid, and it has brightened my world at a time when I needed it most. I can see it being my companion for a long time to come. [Early Access Score = 100]

A half-dozen hours with Hi-Fi Rush so far, and I can’t stop smiling...It’s a game that’s easy to love, difficult to put down, and just an utter delight to spend time with. What a great way to start 2023. [Review in Progress]

Regardless of your relationship to Call of Duty, your feelings about military shooters, your investment in the rebooted Modern Warfare saga, or how much or little you like to play the new Call of Duty online multiplayer every year, the Modern Warfare III campaign feels more like an indicator of a series in decline than a misstep. Microsoft, which recently completed a purchase of Activision, is banking heavily on the future of Call of Duty, and the annual release schedule is unlikely to slow down any time soon. As a long-time player, though, I find myself thinking that it might finally be time to step away. [Campaign Review Score = 40]