With a lovely art style and an entirely intriguing concept, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is unlike anything you’ll have played before. Its uniqueness makes it worthwhile, but some slow-moving elements, inconsequential mechanics and a few lacklustre stories mean it doesn’t stand out quite as much as it should.

Afterbirth+ completes the package and in that respect, purchasing it will give you the definitive Isaac experience. But I can’t help but feel that it’s overpriced. A safe tack on to a game that’s finally rounded off, yet somewhat exhausted.

There’s a framework for a good multiplayer game here in Hood: Outlaws & Legends, but it needs tweaking and building upon to truly give it legs. A PvE mode that actually awards progression would be welcome, too. As it stands, the clunky close combat, somewhat unbalanced characters, and a single match type results in a game that doesn’t quite meet its potential. Despite its frustrations though, it’s at least fun to play – well, until the action starts to begin feeling repetitive, which doesn’t take all that long unfortunately.

Maid of Sker is certainly a better game now than it was a year ago, no matter what format you play it on. It’s still doesn’t quite achieve its potential though, and while there are some clear improvements on PS5, there are unfortunately more disappointments. While it’s nice to finally be able to play the game with a silky smooth frame rate and responsive controls on console, it’s a shame that to achieve that you have to opt for visuals that don’t really impress. In you’re in the mood for an atmospheric horror you’ll probably eke some enjoyment out of this improved Maid of Sker, but you’ll soon forget the experience.

Those with the patience to traipse back and forth and push themselves through the more frustrating sections of Conscript may well end up having a rewarding experience with it on the whole. It’s certainly got some good ideas, and is altogether rather unique. For many though, these issues are likely to prove to be too much of an obstacle; it’s never good when making headway in a game feels like a chore, after all.

I reached the end of my first playthrough of Void Bastards in around 12 hours, and for at least half of that time it felt like a slog.

As it is, it’s simply okay.

SCHiM looks absolutely fantastic, and its idea is innovative: you're a shadow who has become untethered from its human. But the goal of reuniting the pair is unfortunately more frustrating than it should be: while there are some enjoyable elements here, ultimately we were relieved when it was over.

Pac-Man in a Metroidvania game? Yeah – Shadow Labyrinth is an intriguing use of a much-loved IP, but the end result leaves a little to be desired. There's fun to be had here, but frustrating design choices, such as a lack of checkpoints and healing options, mean it's a middling Metroidvania, outshined by plenty others in the genre.

The haunting atmosphere of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water means that it’s definitely worth a play for horror fans on the whole. It’s just a shame that more hasn’t been done to improve its gameplay over the original Wii U version. Combat is fun for the most part, and also rather spooky. But during the many bouts of exploration in between, you’ll become frustrated due to the clunky controls that make moving the trio of characters involved quite simply a pain.

RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore is a pretty basic hack-and-slash that offers some interesting levelling up options, but the lack of depth in both the story and combat leaves it feeling a little empty. Despite the great story premise, and a fun choice of character with Lore, the pages just feel a little empty to this book.

Ultimately, while Xenon Racer‘s initially frustrating difficulty barrier can be overcome, its blurry visuals, brief campaign and awful announcer take the shine off of the whole experience.

Cut features, heavily downgraded visuals and inadequate controls make the Switch version of WRC 8 simply a lot less enjoyable. And that’s a real shame.

There’s a lot to like about Clid the Snail. To say this is from a small team, the worldbuilding and ingenuity is second to none. But while ‘unforgiving’ may have been the developer’s intention, the game’s boss encounters are far too frustrating to be enjoyable. With a bit more balancing to Clid and his armoury, this will be a must-play twin-stick shooter. Until then, only those with patience as hard as Clid’s shell will be able to truly enjoy what’s on offer here.

Visually identical to its predecessor, the additions made in this outing are more like scrapings than noticeable steps forward. With Ride 3 just around the bend most casual fans might be better off waiting. Anyone returning to the perennial racer may not be able to help but have a sense of déjà vu.

The power you feel upon becoming a half-man, half-wolf monstrosity in Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is its saving grace. There’s nothing else out there that offers a similar experience. Sure, it gets a bit repetitive, but you’re a freaking werewolf, capable of picking up a grown man and ripping his head clean off. Boss fights are a highlight, too, actually putting your combat skills to the test, unlike the majority of battles where soldiers are thrown into the arena like lambs to the slaughter. Like its protagonist, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood has many sides to it that are all rough around the edges, but it’s not totally devoid of charm.

For fans of the Neptunia and/or Senran Kagura series, there’s a fair bit to like about Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars. While I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for the game’s story, others may get on better with it. And while the combat isn’t great, it is at least enjoyable for the most part, with some pretty challenging boss battles. Add in plenty of fan-service that some are sure to appreciate as well as post-game content, and you have a game that will keep those who gel with it entertained for many hours. Those unfamiliar with either property involved in this crossover, however, probably won’t find anything other than confusion and disappointment.

Disappointing, that’s the best word to describe Gal Metal. It’s a game with great potential, but it just isn’t focused or accessible enough to capitalise on it.

We’d be lying if we said we haven’t enjoyed our time with Mineko’s Night Market. We have: its world and its characters are just wonderful, and we’ve loved being part of it. But we just wish the game’s economy was a little more balanced so we didn’t have to spend so much time repeatedly gathering materials and completing menial tasks as we craft endless trinkets. Billed as a “narrative-driven adventure”, it feels lacking in both narrative and adventure. Instead, we got what feels more like a thinly-veiled crafting/management simulator game. There’s still a lot to like here, but we certainly expected more.

It serves as a great example of substance over style, but Downwell is perhaps just too one-dimensional to offer the same degree of longevity that other similar titles may offer.

[WinKings‘] stunning visuals and audio give you a pleasant experience, and the gameplay is very much suited to playing casually with friends. You will be left wanting more, but I do not recommend going to the single player to get your fill.

Ultimately, Monopoly Madness is a novel twist on the Monopoly formula, which can be fun to play in short bursts. But it doesn’t quite scratch the itch of playing the classic board game.

Akimbot feels like a blast from the past, but one that hasn't aged all that well. Sure, it's smooth, fast-paced and responsive, and there are some nice setpieces here and there to break up the gameplay — but it's not quite enough to stop it from feeling repetitive and a little long in the tooth.

The saving grace is Hellbound‘s price. At just £11.39/$14.99, it’s not terrible value for money. But there are better old-school first-person shooters available for not much more. Still, there’s a good few hours of fun to get from Hellbound‘s campaign. Maybe even more if you’re the type that wants to discover every secret and beat every par time. And the game’s survival maps offer yet more hours of gameplay. It’s just a shame that it feels more like a starter than a main course.

For anyone looking for a ridiculous game that is loads of fun, I wholeheartedly recommend There’s Poop in my Soup. I’m serious. It’s well worth the cheap price on Steam.

Ultimately Disintegration feels like a hollow shell of what it could have been.

In numerous ways, Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is a clear improvement over its ill-received predecessor. Thanks to its shoddy presentation and numerous other issues, however, it’s still far away from being a must-have. All too often you feel like you’re just going through the motions between battles, going on strolls or enacting policies just to meet objectives without any real thought being put into it. And while the combat is somewhat fun, boring map design lets it down. This is one just for ardent fans, then.

An open world sandbox that lets you run free around Bikini Bottom, there's plenty of fun to be had in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game. It's packed with minigames and activities, but it's just a shame the whole experience feels rather rough.