Is Mia and the Dragon Princess our favourite FMV game from Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media? Perhaps not, but that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy our time with it. Its story might be ridiculous, but with plenty of action – and a surprising amount of cheesy gore – it kept us highly entertained from start to finish. It’s just a shame that the choices you make can leave you with a half-baked experience that doesn’t truly represent what this story should be.

After some updates, Redfall may well become a Game Pass must-play, whether you like to play alone or with others. But right now, while you can have fun with it if you grit your teeth and give it some leeway, it's very hard to wholeheartedly recommend. While some issues here are likely to persist even once the title has been polished up a little, such as the world feeling too empty at times and skill trees being underwhelming, it's the technical problems that are the stake to Redfall's heart.

Bugs aside, though, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time with Mail Time. This is a cute, whimsical adventure that anyone who likes cosy, relaxing games will enjoy. The silly dialogue won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but we still reckon it’ll raise a smile or two even from the sternest of faces. Leave action and violence aside for a bit, and Mail Time is the ideal chilled-out experience to spend a couple of hours with.

If you’ve played the hell out of Monster Hunter Rise and are hungry for more, Sunbreak should be considered a must-have. With new monsters, locations, features and more, there’s just so much here that makes this latest Monster Hunter foray a richer, deeper and more enjoyable experience.

Like R-Type Final 2 before it, R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a game that some will likely adore. In the grand scheme of things, though, it’s not the pinnacle of the shoot ’em up genre that it once would have been. Those who already own R-Type Final 2 might feel like this should have been offered as an upgrade rather than an updated re-release parading as a sequel. And while the visuals have been spruced up and more content has been added, notable core issues haven’t been addressed to create more widespread appeal.

If you’re a fan of games that don’t hold your hand, you might get on well with Strayed Lights. Well, as long as you’re also on board with combat that’s focused around matching enemy colours and parrying attacks. This is a unique title with a striking visual style, but like Marmite, it’s an acquired taste. For all the reasons some will appreciate it, others are only likely to find boredom and frustration.

It's a shame that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor isn't a little more polished, as it really takes the sheen off this bigger, bolder sequel. The story may take a while to really get going, but once it does, it has some fantastic, explosive scenes that truly make an impact. And while there is some fan-service, it tries to keep it to a minimum. Ultimately, this is a must-play for any Star Wars fan, and it leaves us excited about what's next for Cal Kestis.

Despite its niggles, there’s a lot to like about Zoeti: its poker hand twist on typical card-based battler gameplay makes it stand out from the crowd. Add to that its beautiful 2D animation – and a surprisingly excellent soundtrack – and you’ve got a unique roguelike that we can see ourselves returning to again and again. With a bit of polish, it really could be a stand-out title in the genre.

Sure, Afterimage has plenty of flaws. It’s a little too difficult at times. Its choice to lock fast travel behind a rare potion is frustrating. And it’s all too easy to feel like you’re at a dead end. But despite its issues, it has kept us coming back for more. This is a beautiful metroidvania with a huge, impeccably-designed world that begs to be explored. Whether you’re a long-time metroidvania fan or enjoy action RPGs, Afterimage is well worth pouring some time into.

Ultimately, there’s nothing really bad about Trinity Trigger, but there’s also nothing that makes you excited about playing it. Its story is enjoyable but very predictable and clichéd, the combat is solid but very typical of the genre, and it looks and sounds just fine. If you’re after a fairly breezy, light-hearted action RPG to work your way through, it’s worth considering, but the experience is not likely to stick with you.

It would be easy to write off Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores as more of the same, but thanks to some stand-out gameplay moments and Aloy’s new relationship with Seyka, it should be considered essential for fans of the series. Make no mistake, a third game in the series is coming, and this is its prelude. But more importantly, if the new features and other additions here are a taste of what’s to come, sign us up right now.

There’s a surprising amount of content in Desktop Dungeons Rewind and, despite its simple appearance, this is a devilishly fiendish beast that we can’t get enough of. It’s not your typical dungeon crawler by any means, but its easy-to-pick-up yet hard to master gameplay will keep us coming back time and time again.

Against all odds, Dead Island 2 is pretty much everything we wanted it to be. This is the ultimate zombie game, dropping you in a setting that’s an absolute joy to explore and spend time in while taking apart zombies in any way you please. Fans of Dead Island will be overjoyed at what’s been delivered here, taking the core concept of the original game and building upon it to make something that’s perhaps a little more linear, but better in all regards. It’s funny to think that we once considered this game dead, because developer Dambuster Studios has proved that there’s life in the series yet.

While we can appreciate what Modus Studios was aiming for with God of Rock, we struggle to recommend it to anyone but the most ardent of music rhythm or fighting game fans. It’s a unique concept that sounds like it should work, but ultimately it’s neither fun as a music rhythm game or entertaining as a fighting game.

As much as I could criticise the game for its shortcomings, B-Movie dialogue and writing, alongside movement control issues and inconsistent/erratic/badly designed logical item puzzles with equally poor flag conditions for the branching paths and endings, the game was quite enjoyable.

While its low-fi nature means that Rewind or Die won’t be to everyone’s tastes, it’s easy to recommend to horror fans looking for something a little out of the ordinary. This perfectly encapsulates the essence of straight-to-video cult-horror favourites of years gone by, being schlocky and gory yet undeniably entertaining all the same.

Whether you’re a fan of Strider or a keen retro gamer who’s happiest when jumping into an obscure and hard-to-find title, Cannon Dancer – Osman is definitely worthy of your time and money. Thanks to its electrifying action and strong visual design, it’s a blast from the past that’s genuinely entertaining from beginning to end.

Jump into Dogfight – A Sausage Bomber Story and while you’ll never likely be wowed, you will be entertained by its humorous brand of shoot ’em up action. This is a lovely-looking title with solid mechanics, enjoyable alone or with others. But there’s little that’s unique about its gameplay, and once its campaign has been completed many players may struggle to find a reason to return other than to collect more weapons.

It’s a shame that Steel Defier doesn’t last much more than an hour; we’d have gladly played through many, many more levels. This is a simple little game, but one that absolutely nails the concept of a fulfilling challenge. More please, Viridino Studios.

While it’s missing some quality of life features that would have been appreciated, and the games included are a bit samey on the whole, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is easy to recommend to Mega Man fans, and also those keen to see what the Battle Network series is all about. The combat system at the core of these titles is still engaging and original, and while you might tire of the random battles, chances are you’ll battle on to see Lan save the day time and time again. Throw in some welcome extras, and you can’t really lose.

Even if Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened was slightly disappointing, we’d ultimately still be impressed, given the hardship that Frogwares has faced over the course of its development. The fact that it’s actually a very good game its own right shouts volumes about the talent housed within this small Ukrainian developer. Truly, this is a real showcase of passion, perseverance and raw talent. Detective games really don’t come much better than this – especially if you like a bit of the occult thrown in for good measure.

While Lunark does have its merits, the further we progressed in it, the further it tested our patience. Its clunky controls are a hurdle, but one you might be able to get over. Problems with unfair combat, poor checkpointing, and questionable environmental design, however, are much harder to forgive. Ultimately, if you’re fan of the genre, Lunark is worth a try, but don’t expect it to stand up to even its decades old peers.

If you’ve got a creative streak and a taste for vengeance, Meet Your Maker will have you cackling, plotting and cursing well into the night. You’ll shun daylight, surrounded by an ever-growing field of 3D printed skulls, each representing in in-game kill. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what gaming’s all about?

Ultimately, if you’re a fan of Slay the Spire, you’ll undoubtedly get a kick out of Pirates Outlaws. It’s a solid entry into the roguelike card-based battler genre, but we just can’t shake the feeling it’s a little too much like its inspirations to really stand out. Still, it’s safe to say that if you’re looking for more Slay the Spire-type action, it’ll do a decent job of scratching that itch.

Marfusha isn’t the most visually interesting game, and for some it might quickly become overly repetitive. There’s something about its simple gameplay that makes it strangely captivating though, tempting you to return to protect its border gates time and time again. With such a wide range of cards available, and multiple characters in Challenge Mode, no two runs are quite exactly the same, either. If you’re fan of shooters that you can dip in and out of, it’s well worth adding to your library.

We cared deeply for both Kaito and Zoe throughout our time with Road 96: Mile 0, wanting to make the best choices for both of them. Their journey may be brief, but it’s filled with sincere moments, whether emotional, funny or tense – and it’s a story we simply couldn’t put down once we’d started. This is an excellent addition to Road 96, adding extra weight and context to the events of that game, but also standing strong on its own two feet, as a tale of two teenagers struggling to make sense of the complicated world around them. Once again, Digixart has created something wonderfully unique, and the studio’s talent for storytelling shines brighter than ever.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a perfectly playable metroidvania that feels rough around the edges. Mechanically it can feel a little unfair at times due to things like stiff animations and unfortunate enemy placements. And while its four protagonist set up is a neat touch, it can be a grind to upgrade skills if you do decide to change. Still, fans of the genre are likely to enjoy their time with it.

With a fantastic art style that immediately charms you, and engaging gameplay that will keep you coming back time and time again, we love Wildfrost. It’s a very welcome entry into the roguelike card battler genre, offering challenging but fulfilling combat that we can’t get enough of. If you’re a fan of games like Slay the Spire, we urge you to try Wildfrost. You won’t be disappointed.