It’s safe to say that Rise of the Ronin is perhaps Koei Tecmo’s largest and most ambitious game yet. There’s tens of hours of fun to be had here, living out your fantasy life as a Ronin. Who you ally yourself with and how you develop your character is up to you, and with so many options, you could have a very different experience compared to a friend who is also playing. It’s just a shame that its open world areas aren’t a little more interesting; it ends up diluting the experience on the whole. Still, whether you love open world games, action RPGs or simply like the idea of being a samurai, Rise of the Ronin is worthy of your attention.

Pikuniku is an eye-pleasing, entertaining outing that just oozes charm, with characters who are endearing without ever becoming irritating. If you want a game that will have you grinning with joy, then pick up Pikuniku.

With solid mechanics, one of the most imaginative game worlds we've seen in a long time and a killer sense of humour, Journey to the Savage Planet is pure joy from start to finish.

It’s safe to say that We Are OFK won’t be for everyone. As far as interactive narrative adventures go, it’s one of the most passive we’ve encountered, feeling more like an animated TV series than a video game. Add in characters that are difficult to get to know and dialogue that’s likely to grate, and you’ve got an experience that’s tough to recommend. Thankfully, the excellent music videos do offer some redemption, and if you stick with it, you’ll eventually warm to its colourful cast. However you feel about them though, you probably won’t have played anything else quite like this.

As a game, Hindsight doesn’t fully deliver. Its interactions are clunky, inconsistent and occasionally annoying, detracting from what really matters here: the narrative. But that narrative alone is so poignant and beautifully told that it’s worth pushing through for. This isn’t a story that’s going to blow you away, excite you or even uplift you. Real, complex grief is a difficult subject to broach, but Hindsight deals with it masterfully. The raw human emotion captured here makes it worth the journey – and, just maybe, if you’re grieving yourself, it might validate some of your own emotions.

Available at a budget price on PC, you’ll be hugely impressed by its visuals, and while some scenes feel like filler, you’ll feel the urge to push on to discoverer Jodie’s, and Aiden’s, ultimate fate. Like any Quantic Dream tale, the narrative is sometimes ham-fisted, but it’s still head and shoulders above what’s offered by most videogames, making the time spent with Beyond: Two Souls something you’ll remember.

If taking a trip back in time with an old-fashioned platforming game sounds like a good time to you, Panzer Paladin won’t disappoint. Its excellent visual direction and soundtrack definitely helps it stand out from the crowd, and once you get a handle around its core weapon system, it becomes clear that there aren’t many other games out there that play quite like it. Panzer Paladin sticks hard to its old school influences, even if sometimes to a fault, but it mostly pays off.

While Super Perils of Baking can feel a tad too generic at times, then, is has to lot to offer for its modest price. It evokes the spirit of 90s platformers that were never as popular as the big hitters – games like Zool, Cool Spot and Boogerman. And so for those who yearn for a new platforming experience that relishes in that old-school feel, it’ll go down a storm. Perhaps the worst thing about it is its soundtrack, but that can be easily remedied. Ultimately, it will never be remembered as a classic, but Super Perils of Baking can at least remind you of the golden days of the genre.

If you're a Vampire Survivors fan, you're going to want to get a taste of Hive Jump 2: Survivors. It's tough and challenging, but in just the right way: trust me, you'll be jumping in time and time again until you get the better of these alien swarms.

If you don’t mind the odd teething problem, there really is so much to love about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. The campaign will keep you glued to your seat thanks to its excellent storytelling and fantastic voice cast. And its world outshines just about any we’ve seen in the Borderlands series yet; it’s huge, and offers so much scope to explore even beyond the main story and side quests. Its endgame is promising too, offering plenty of reason to keep jumping back in. Is it Gearbox’s best game to date? Once those few bugs are tidied up, it might just be. And considering it was made under pandemic restrictions, that really is a feat.

For a genre that is continuing to grow thanks to the monumental success of Overwatch, Gigantic is a bigger splash than I expected.

Aside from some glaring camera issues and the odd technical blemish, Heart&Slash presents exactly what the title suggests: a lot of slashing, and a lot of heart.

Ultra Space Battle Brawl is very much worth a purchase if you play games with friends on a regular basis. Its fusion of Pong with an 80’s arcade game aesthetic really gives it character, and when your opponent is a real human being it’s an absolute riot. It’s quite light on features though, and its single player offering really lets the package down.

As a whole, Home Safety Hotline doesn’t outstay its welcome, and it’s an absolute treat for lovers of folklore or fans of the uncanny. I never thought I’d say it, but this is one call centre I’ve absolutely loved clocking into.

It has some issues that can frustrate, mechanically it can take some getting used to, and it could do with a patch or two to clear up some unfortunate bugs, but Penny’s Big Breakaway has a lot of charm which sees it pull through the other side. If you’re a fan of 3D platformers, especially those with unique quirks and gimmicks, chances are you’ll absolutely love what Penny’s Big Breakaway has to offer. It’s certainly a solid debut from Evening Star, and we can’t wait to see what the studio does next.

The Flame in the Flood successfully captures the intricacies of a better class of survival games and wraps them in a very neat, very pretty package.

Raiden III x Mikado Maniax isn’t the most content-laden shoot ’em up package, nor is it the best looking. It’s impossible to recommend it over its follow ups, which overall are simply better games. But despite all that, this is still a great shoot ’em up which has stood the test of time. And so, if you’ve already acquired the newer entries in the series but want yet more Raiden action, this will serve you well.

At the outset, Future Unfolding is magical experience; an elegant world waiting to be explored, with wonder at every step. But with each discovery, the wonder disappears – and isn’t replaced with anything new. Once you’ve uncovered everything the game has to show you, puzzles soon become petty barriers, the magic runs out and the procedurally-generated world loses its charm. In the end, Future Unfolding keeps unfolding for just a little too long.

Jydge has been found guilty of conspicuous padding and needless repetition, and my sentence will see it placed in a comfy resort prison with all the other decent games when it could have walked free this very day as one of the good ones. Let this serve as a warning to all other perpetrators who would seek to increase value through nothing more than a shallow investment of time.

Assetto Corsa Competizione isn’t a racing game for all. It doesn’t provide quick and easy thrills, with a career mode focused on building a garage full of cars and customising them to your liking. It’s a serious game for those serious about racing. Thankfully it’ll hit most of the right notes that sim fans look for. It’s just a shame that graphical fidelity has been prioritised over performance. Other than that, there’s not much to dislike here unless you’re a newcomer to the sport, or are stuck with playing with a controller.

As far as co-op experiences go, Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour is up there with the best. Even in single player, you’re in for a damn good ride.

Part roguelike, part horror, part puzzle adventure, we've not played anything quite like Withering Rooms before. It's a little scrappy, and we wish combat was better, but there's something about it that will keep us coming back.

Dying frequently may be frustrating, but RAD‘s mutation system and trippy 80s vibe make it a unique adventure that’s well worth taking.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is obviously not as good as it could have been. Once you get over the fact that it’s not quite as polished as its predecessors nor does it further the series in any meaningful way though, you can still appreciate what it is: a Mass Effect game through and through.

The Crew Motorfest is undoubtedly the best entry in Ubisoft’s open-world racing game series yet. Not only that, but it goes toe-to-toe with Forza Horizon 5, perhaps even beating it in numerous ways. The island of O’ahu is stunning; a varied place that feels natural and teeming with things to do. But more importantly, the gameplay, the simple act of driving, is rewarding and fun. Whether you’re exploring the world or taking part in a heated race, The Crew Motorfest puts a smile on your face, even if only because of the beautiful surroundings. And while they’re somewhat put on the back burner here, it’s nice that you can still jump into a plane or boat to explore without limits.

There’s so much more I could add about Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife but I’m not about to risk spoiling the experience. Or, more selfishly, I’m not going to say anything that could dial back its fear factor; if you’re going to play this, you’re going to be as scared as me, dammit. Gloomy, unsettling and engrossing in equal measure, you’ll regret not stepping into Wraith‘s distressing world. [Oculus Quest 2]

The presentation of The Magic Circle is simple but striking… I would be lying if I said it wasn’t one of the cleverest uses of a retro aesthetic I’ve ever seen.

I’ve loved all three Watch Dogs games, but Watch Dogs Legion may be my favourite. Perhaps it’s the familiarity of London, or perhaps it’s the unique joy of being able to take control of pretty much any character you want. There’s so much to see and do; the amount of character and life breathed into the city is unrivalled by pretty much any other open world game. Even once the credits roll, there’s so much left for you experience. It’s not perfect (what is?) but there’s nothing else quite like Watch Dogs Legion. If you love an open world game and revel in the freedom to approach missions however you want, then this is the game for you.