Yeah, Total War: Warhammer is pretty good and a step in the right direction to boot, but I refuse to be dazzled by some stickers when the core game takes only a tiny shuffle forward at best.

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.

While there’s some disparity between Marsupilami – Hoobadventure‘s target audience and its difficulty spikes, there’s no denying that there’s an excellent 2D platformer here, suitable for all ages. For fans of Crash Bandicoot and Rayman, you’ll find a lot to love in this charming and surprisingly beautiful adventure – even if you aren’t familiar with its long-tailed protagonist.

Undisputed has some issues, but for boxing fans it does enough to make itself essential. There's a huge roster of fighters here, plenty of modes, and the fighing system is easy to pick up but hard to master. It's just a shame that the action lacks a little speed and excitement, and that it's visually not all that impressive on PS5.

With a story full of twists and turns, Karma: The Dark World will equally draw you in and confuse you. Still, it's an interesting game on the whole, which tries to pack in a wide variety of gameplay elements and tackle some dark themes, though it doesn't always do so with finesse.

The trouble is, whilst The Park is indeed unsettling, it never reaches the levels of terror that P.T. taught us to expect of a modern day first-person horror title. It’s perhaps not even as scary as Bloober Team’s Layers of Fear. Additionally, over the course of the two hours it’ll take you to complete it, the lack of any substantial gameplay will mean you won’t have really gained anything from playing it: it may as well have been a movie. And there’s zero replay value too.

Whilst it’s commendable that there are technomancy skills as well as three fighting styles at your disposal… the fact that the combat is so clunky and frequently unbalanced means that it’s best to just settle on one at the outset and stick with it.

The experience at the core of GRID is undoubtedly a great one. The racing is exciting and keeps you on your toes, moreso than any other racer currently available. But there just aren’t enough modes to keep your attention in the long term. Additionally, many features that should make GRID shine feel shallow and inconsequential, and you soon feel like you’ve exhausted all of the game’s tracks. GRID simply needed to be more.

Ultimately, The Pathless is somewhat an uneven experience. Its epic boss battles are thrilling, and the majority of its puzzles are enjoyable to solve. It’s just a shame that there’s so much aimless running around between all the fun. Even dashing around at full speed grows tiresome after a while. Providing some sense of direction may go against what The Pathless strives to be, but it would help make your time with the game feel less wasted, and more fulfilling.

You might not spend enough time with Ao and Bo in No Longer Home to truly care about their feelings. But if you’re a graduate yourself, you’ll undoubtedly relate to the themes brought up in the game and reminisce over your own tumultuous time as you finished your university course. It’s only brief, but No Longer Home manages to capture real feelings and emotions in a tangible, powerful way.

Despite these flaws, Green Hell is a thoroughly engaging survival outing. Shelters aside, crafting is strictly optional and it’s possible to just scavenge your way through the game. It’s the little accomplishments that make Green Hell so satisfying, such as learning which herb will cure poison and which will pebbledash your shelter walls with puke. The game’s story, a cut above the usual survival narrative, is the icing on the cake.

TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 3 is another solid entry in the series, which thankfully mixes things up quite a lot. It’s still not all that welcoming to beginners, and there are some minor issues that might aggravate players from time to time, but overall, fans of the sport are likely to lap this up. Fast, brutal and at times utterly beautiful, TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 3 will reward you if you put in the time and effort to master it. But approach it with recklessness and it’ll just give you road rash.

This year's MotoGP game is the most accessible yet thanks to the introduction of a new Arcade playstyle that lets players ride on the edge without patronising them. The new Race Off mode which offers multiple racing disciplines is also worthy addition. It's just a shame that its Career mode is so basic and disappointing.

DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation is a good visual novel with everything you might want: an intriguing story, tonnes of different endings, a great art style and cute anime girls. And considering it packs in three games in one, it’s a bit of a bargain for fans of the genre.

Tormented Souls 2, like its predecessor, offers some solid survival horror action inspired by classics of the genre. Some might find dealing with or avoiding enemies a bit frustrating at times though, and a number of its puzzles could be considered a little too obtuse for comfort.

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.

There’s a lot to like in Fate/Samurai Remnant for Fate fans, or those who simply enjoy action RPGs in general. The story is meaty, and with multiple endings as well as a New Game Plus mode available, some may even jump in for another playthrough or two. It’s a shame the combat isn’t a little more refined and less reliant on giving enemies armour, forcibly making fights more drawn out and challenging than they should be. Those that can look past this issue, however, will get a lot of enjoyment out of this latest effort by Omega Force.

If you absolutely loved the original Drawful in the first Jackbox Party Pack, then Drawful 2 makes sense: more prompts for all-new gameplay and the option to create your own games is a worthy upgrade. However, if you’re new to Drawful and the world of Jackbox altogether, then I’d hasten you instead buy the Party Pack for more variety.

It may be a little derivative of Balatro, but Dice of Kalma's dice-based roguelike gameplay is still great fun, and its foreboding, retro aesthetic is as eye-catching as it is intriguing.

While the new campaign introduced in Vessel of Hatred disappoints, other additions such as the new Spiritborn class and endgame co-op PvE activity Dark Citadel make for a wortwhile expansion overall. In any case, adding a whole new region to explore filled with new dungeons, strongholds, and more, it's essential for devout Diablo 4 fans.

Even with the control issues, The House of the Dead: Remake is good fun. And while a playthrough will take you less than an hour, this is the type of game you’ll come back to time and time again. MegaPixel Studio has done a good job of bringing new life to a classic, even though its work is somewhat sabotaged by the fact that modern TVs have made traditional light guns defunct. Let’s just hope that a solution is found, and soon. But until then, blasting zombies with a controller will suffice.

With a range of characters to meet, mysteries to uncover and plenty of cleaning up and rescuing to be done, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission. Sure, its gameplay may be simple, but when it’s this engaging it doesn’t matter. For the young and young-at-heart, restoring the island of Maupiroa to its former glory is a task worth undertaking.

For anyone that enjoys side-scrolling shooters, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is well worth picking up. Even more so if you also like the world of Warhammer 40,000 or simply having a good laugh. While its campaign is short, it’s fun from beginning to end – and there’s a good chance you might go back for another playthrough or engage in some multiplayer action. Just maybe pick it up on a format other than Switch if you’re sensitive to performance issues.

Attempt to rush through Kitaria Fables and you’ll find it to be a frustrating and unduly challenging experience. Take it slowly, though, spending time engaging with the game’s crafting and farming mechanics, and you’ll have a much better time. With an enjoyable narrative and a pleasantly animated world to explore, being a magical cat armed with a sword is pretty good fun.

If you’re into action RPGs, chances are you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of Deadcraft. Especially so if you also like survival elements, though for some they’ll get in the way. In any case, there’s much to like here, despite the unimpressive visuals and basic combat. And so, if you feel like stepping into yet another post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies, Deadcraft will meet your needs while also putting a unique spin on things.

Like with any collection of retro games, if you have fond memories of playing what’s included here, you’re likely to enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection more than those who don’t. And while there are some games here that are still enjoyable, there are others that we can’t imagine anyone genuinely having a fun time with. Still, as retro collections go, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Cowabunga Collection is comprehensive, and you can’t fault that. Add in all the fan-pleasing extras and you have a collection that is sure to find an audience despite its shortcomings.

Alone in the Dark isn’t flawless, but it’s definitely one of the best entries in the series so far and an accomplished reimagining. Its story will keep you on your toes, even if sometimes you might feel like it could have a little more fleshed out. And while the game’s combat doesn’t impress, the oppressive atmosphere throughout is effective at keeping you on edge. Throw in a bucketload of enjoyable puzzles to overcome, and you have a survival horror that’s well worth spending some time with.

Stela is good but unspectacular. It grabs your attention from the outset and packs a lot of tense and testing scenarios into its short running time. But there’s nothing overly compelling about it; nothing that elevates it from being just an inoffensive way to waste a couple of hours. It’s enjoyable, sure, but its short length and lack of wow factor makes it hard to recommended at full price. Still, if you really loved Limbo and know what Planet Alpha is, you might want to give Stela a go.