Ultimately, Fobia – St. Dinfna Hotel is a bit rough around the edges. Its voice acting isn’t great, which ruins the tension at times, as do its poor enemy animations and sub-par combat. But in an age where new, half-decent survival horror games are few and far between, this isn’t worth writing off completely. Its puzzles are enjoyable, and it does a good job of creating an eerie atmosphere. Particularly if you’re a fan of the classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, it’s worth checking into St. Dinfna Hotel.

Ashes of Ariandel offers more Dark Souls III, which can only ever be a good thing in my book. It offers anywhere from five to eight hours of content depending on how thorough and skilled you are, an interesting new world to explore, wonderful new enemies to fight, new loot to plunder and use and two new bosses to fell.

If you love photo modes, Lushfoil Photography Sim is the game for you. Your only goal here is to snap away, with photography tools about as close to picking up a real DSLR camera as you're ever going to get. There are a few bugbears, such as locations being locked behind arbitrary goals, but ultimately this is a gorgeous, relaxing experience that's well worth checking out.

Earth Defense Force 6 feels more like Earth Defense 5.5, what with it being so similar to its predecessor. There are some welcome tweaks to various features, however, and along with some new enemies and more missions than ever, it makes for the best entry in the series yet. We just hope the inevitable Earth Defense Force 7 is a bit more adventurous.

If Mulaka is proof of anything, it's that there is a definitive impact when games are made by more diverse voices. Mulaka feels deeply personal.

Despite its issues, if you’ve had your fill of Streets of Rage 4 and are after another side-scrolling beat ’em up to play, you should definitely consider adding The TakeOver to your collection. Though it does eventually lose some of its shine, its combat system offers more depth than most in the genre, and the package as a whole has some genuinely nice ideas. The fact that it looks so good and has a great soundtrack is just icing on the cake.

There’s a lot to love about Oxenfree II: Lost Signals. Its spooky, supernatural tale will get its hooks in you instantly, helped along by fantastic voice acting and characters that you can’t help but want to know more about. Night School Studios has once again proven itself to be a master of storytelling: it’s been a long wait for Oxenfree’s sequel, but now we’re even more excited to see what the team might do next.

The concept is not original, nor is Stories: The Path of Destinies‘ mechanics but there’s just something so endearing about it that makes me love the game that much more.

Whether you’re a Pokémon fan who fondly remembers the original or a newcomer looking for a way in to the series, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is easy to recommend. It may seem a little bit costly for a remake that stays fairly close to the source material aside from a snazzy new look, but there’s still a lot of game here. Even better, it’s enjoyable no matter your age, gender or skill level. Once you’ve started playing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond you really will feel the urge to catch ’em all. And the improvements here mean it’s never been as easy or enjoyable.

If you’re an ardent Dragon Ball fan, then picking up Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 should be a no-brainer, but even if you’re just a fan of fighting games and RPGs in general you should give it a try – the combat is fun and there’s a surprising amount of depth to the character development that doesn’t fail to satisfy.

Mother Russia Bleeds doesn’t come anywhere near to toppling Streets of Rage 2 as the best scrolling beat’em up, but it has a decent stab at it, making it a recommended purchase for fans of the genre.

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.

Burning Bridges feels like a turning point that episodes two and three have been building up to. It introduces welcome plot twists and revisits interesting topics that have been mostly at the wayside since episode one. But I fear it’s too little too late.

After many hours of playing ADIOS Amigos, I’m still completely hooked. on trying to beat my high scores. Everything from the graphics, to the setting, and the music is just so inviting.

It perhaps plays things a little safe, but mechanically Dead or Alive 6 is up there with the best fighting games currently available.

If you’re a steampunk aficionado then Vaporum will doubtless hold some appeal for you; it’s smartly presented and tells a tantalisingly haunting tale of man’s folly. But for those who aren’t as taken with steam power, Vaporum is a rather average dungeon crawler.

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is far from being the best Sniper Elite game you can play right now, but it’s still worth your time if you want to see bullets travel through bodies in gory detail.

Team Sonic Racing might not be the strongest, most innovative racer out there, but fans of Sega’s previous karting games as well as fans of Sonic will definitely find something to enjoy. The team elements are very well implemented, and it’s nice being encouraged to work as a team in a game where you would otherwise do everything in your power to take your friends down.

There’s a hell of a lot to love about Helheim Hassle. Its world, animation, characters and storytelling are all excellent; in terms of art and sound design there’s a level of polish rarely seen outside of AAA releases. But there’s also a lot that lets it down. Had it been a little tighter and had the most frustrating puzzles been worked on just a bit more, Helheim Hassle could have been one of the best indie games of the year. As it is, a convoluted control system and some badly-designed timed puzzles are going to most likely make you rage. You’ll get a kick out of many aspects of Bjørn and Pesto’s journey, but there’ll be times you’ll just want to throw Bjørn’s limbs into the fieriest pits of Hel yourself.

There’s no denying that this is the best MXGP release yet. While they’re not particularly sizeable, improvements have been made, and it’s nice to have some new tracks thrown into the mix. Just be aware that if you already own MXGP 2020, MXGP 2021 isn’t going to offer a wildly different experience. It feels more like a refinement or expansion rather than a sequel. Whether that makes it worth the asking price is up to you.

Ask yourself this: did you play Outriders simply for its campaign and then drop it, or did you push yourself through its expeditions, going as far as you could go? For those in the former camp, Worldslayer probably isn’t for you. At least not at full price, anyway. You’ll blast through the campaign in 10 hours or less and then be left twiddling your thumbs. For those enamoured with Outriders‘ unique brand of high-octane combat seeking to max out their characters and optimise their builds, however, Worldslayer should be considered a must-have.

Arcade Paradise is something rather special. Its mixture of playful management sim and arcade gaming works incredibly well, and it’s all so nicely presented that you’ll easily forgive its few flaws. Whether you get swept up in keeping your laundrette and arcade running as well as possible, or whether you find yourself addicted to a particular arcade cabinet, you’re going to love your time here. And considering its bargain price, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

Kayak VR: Mirage may not be the most content-rich title, but if you’re picking up PSVR 2 and want something that will impress you with its visuals and realistic mechanics it’s well worth checking out. From its races that will give your arms a decent workout, to its laid-back tours, there’s a little something here for almost everyone. And while it won’t take you too long to see and do most of what it has to offer, there’s a good chance you’ll keep it installed just so that you can immerse yourself in its stunning locales every once in a while.

Horror fans are likely to appreciate the brilliant premise of The Mortuary Assistant, and will enjoy the fact it's genuinely creepy and unpredictable. Preparing bodies is surprisingly engaging, and there are multiple endings to discover which will keep players returning for more, but unfortunately the PS5 version is very rough around the edges.

Darwin's Paradox is a brief but enjoyable 2.5D platforming adventure which also incorporates stealth and some light puzzling. It has some minor issues, such as dubious checkpointing in places, but Darwin's undeniable charm will ultimately win you over.

For the most part, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is the same game as it was when it released back in 2020: a great deal of fun for fans of both Tetris and Puyo. But the addition of a new mode and the implementation of Switch 2's excellent GameShare functionality make this absolutely the best version yet.

Bury Me, My Love isn’t always an easy trek, perhaps reflecting its subject matter, and it’s still better suited to mobile phones. But it’s so emotionally engaging that, despite multiple, doomed playthroughs, you won’t leave Nour’s side until you’ve guided her to safety.

With Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot you can simply enjoy an epic story from start to finish, while engaging in action RPG gameplay that's both rewarding and exciting despite its shortcomings.