It’s safe to say that we’re very impressed with Aliens: Dark Descent. Developer Tindalos Interactive is clearly a fan of the franchise, and it’s plain to see that much love has been poured into this title. Aside from its engaging gameplay, the story had us gripped right from the get-go, helped along by excellent voice acting. The only disappointment for some might be that there are no multiplayer offerings, but it is priced accordingly. If you’re an Alien fan after some single-player thrills, this is well worth picking up – even if you don’t usually get on with real-time strategy games.

Fans of the Layers of Fear series are likely to enjoy this new take on its stories, combined and enhanced with new elements. But at the same time, you’re likely to be disappointed that more hasn’t been done to make everything more consistent and unique. What’s more, it’s not as if these games are so old that they needed remaking; the Writer’s story could have perhaps been its own thing, expanded upon to offer something genuinely new. So, while Layers of Fear (2023) is a solid horror experience, we can’t help but feel like Bloober Team has missed an opportunity to really mix things up and impress.

Does Park Beyond capture the magic of Theme Park World from the early 2000s? Not quite, but damn, it tries. It feels like a nice, happy medium between the complexity of Planet Coaster and the simplicity of Theme Park: stick to flat rides and prefab coasters if you want, but if you’re the more creative type, you’ll get a huge kick out of the freedom Park Beyond’s coaster building and design tools give you. Packed with personality, plenty of gameplay and some truly wonderful ride designs, Park Beyond is a must for theme park sim fans.

F1 23 is pretty much a faultless racing experience. While its career mode may be lacking in innovations this year, the return of Braking Point and the new F1 World mode more than make up for it. Add in other improvements and features, and you have what is undoubtedly the best F1 game yet. If you’re an F1 fan this is an absolute must-buy as usual, but even racing game fans in general would be wise to add this to their collection. With its wealth of content, brilliant handling and sublime presentation, F1 23 is simply racing at its finest.

It’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend MotoGP 23 to anyone but devout fans of the sport, especially with Nine Season 2009 gone without anything to replace it. It’s a solid racing game with some decent updates, but it’s not the most generous when it comes to content and it fails to cater to newcomers without basically taking control off of them. Ultimately, it may be out of date now, but most are better off sticking with MotoGP 22 for another year.

If you’re after a fun, old-fashioned arcade shooter experience and don’t mind the dated graphics, Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition is certainly worth its budget asking price. It’s not a comprehensive remaster of the close to 30-year old game, but its exhilarating gameplay still shines through.

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.

Launching with a strong and varied roster of fighters and a range of modes that should satisfy most players, Street Fighter 6 is a triumph. The combat here is stronger than it’s ever been, and a serious effort has been made to make this the most accessible and inclusive fighting game yet. Whether you spend your time developing your custom-made fighter in World Tour, fighting against others in the Battle Hub, or practising your skills in Fighting Grounds, Street Fighter 6 doesn’t fail to impress and entertain. For fighting game fans, this should be considered essential.

It’s not the same as getting a brand new game, but when it comes to Katamari, we’ll take whatever we can get. We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie is just as delightful as the original, and it’s clear a lot of work has been done to make this 18-year-old game look just as good as ever. Some of its more random levels aren’t quite as enjoyable as they should be, but as a full package, this is Katamari at its best.

When it comes to Amnesia: The Bunker, you can tell that Frictional Games really wanted to up the horror. And it’s achieved it. This is true survival horror where resources are limited, and while you can fight, it feels hopeless. It’s not the biggest game in the world, and feeling constantly stalked and preyed upon means this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But those who get a kick out of skulking around in the dark, solving puzzles while evading something grotesque, will absolutely love this

It’s safe to say that Killer Frequency has taken us by surprise. We don’t really know what we expected from it, but it gripped us from the outset and made us keen to keep playing. A multi-layered affair, it’s a lot of fun trying to find solutions to the harrowing situations that your callers have found themselves in, but there’s also pleasure in finding out more about its protagonist, Forrest, and the rest of the residents of Gallow’s Creek. Those fond of narrative adventures and engaging puzzles would be wise to give this a spin.

DRIFTCE doesn’t have mass appeal – that’s a given. For those that it’s aimed at though, it should prove to be quite the delight. The physics are solid, making pulling off impressive drifts all the more rewarding. And the fact that you have to assemble and maintain your vehicles gives everything more of a personal touch. It’s just a shame that there isn’t a little more assistance for those who aren’t fully aware where an intercooler should be fitted, for example. Still, there’s always the opportunity to learn.

We feel like we’ve discovered a real hidden gem in Dynopunk. Part visual novel, part management sim, every facet of the game has kept us thoroughly engaged. Its pixel art style is wonderful, and accompanied by an eclectic and unique soundtrack, it’s hard to put down once you start playing. We really hope Dynopunk garners a bit of buzz, because it absolutely deserves it.

We had high expectations for Diablo 4, and we're so happy to say that Blizzard has smashed them. This is a title that takes Diablo 3's meaningful quality-of-life improvements and expands upon them with aplomb, while also bringing back the much-loved look and feel of Diablo 2. All the while, it's not too focused on the past, taking the series into open world territory and making it more story-led than ever before. And what a story it tells: we never expected to be so invested. But more importantly, we can't wait to start a new character and jump once again into the endgame. Diablo 4 is devilishly good – the best Diablo game yet, in fact, and it only stands to get better.

Animality lacks any real substance: this is the type of game you’ll jump into for 10 minutes at a time, while the TV’s on in the background, or while you’re waiting for the microwave to beep. There may be meatier endless runners out there, but this one-button wonder does all you need it to in order to keep you coming back.

The gameplay of Puzzle Bobble never gets old, and in Everybubble it’s no different. Popping bubbles is just as much fun as it was in the 1990s: almost 30 years later, and it’s as enjoyable as ever. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble offers up a well-rounded package with plenty of modes to jump into, with Baron’s Tower and the joyous Space Invaders twist giving players reason to keep jumping back in long after the story mode has been completed. What’s not to like, really?

Even if you’re hugely familiar with the world of Warhammer 40,000, Boltgun is a bit of an old-fashioned treat. Its sprites are wonderfully realised, its environments suitably atmospheric, and its action brutal. Its simplicity is its strength, as well as its sheer disregard for your enemies’ innards as they spill out under your sustained fire, or perhaps an introduction to your chainsword. And so, we’re reminded why retro shooters are all the rage once more: because they’re bloody good fun.

No One Lives Under the Lighthouse is a game that horror fans should definitely check out, especially if the retro aesthetic appeals to them. It’s pretty impressive that, with such understated visuals and no voiced dialogue, a game can create such an atmosphere. And as the days go by and the horror cranks up, you’re not only kept on your toes, but also the edge of your seat.

It’s safe to say that 2K and Visual Concepts have hit the ball out of the park with LEGO 2K Drive. We haven’t had this much fun with an open world racing game since Forza Horizon 4. The racing action is tense and chaotic, the open worlds are a pleasure to explore, and everything is just so varied. Everything pretty much is awesome when it comes to LEGO 2K Drive, resulting in a game that’s fun for all ages and skill levels. And the coup de grâce is the vehicle builder, allowing you to truly let your imagination run wild.

While Zool himself can be a bit unwieldy to control, playing Zool Redimensioned it’s easy to see why he still lives in the minds of some gamers. He’s a charismatic little fellow, instantly recognisable and rather cool. And so while this retro platformer might not have the awareness or tight gameplay of the original Super Mario Bros. or Sonic the Hedgehog, it’s still well worth checking out if you’re after some old-fashioned fun.

Humanity joins the stable of games published by Enhance that are weird and wonderful in all the right ways. Its abstract visual style, strange premise and trippy soundtrack all sit on top of its unique brain-teasing challenges, creating a game that quickly gets its hooks in you and doesn’t let go. For puzzle fans, or those who simply like their games out of the ordinary, this is a must-play.

Had there been more variety on offer, a few more random elements to make Death or Treat‘s playthroughs feel more varied, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this roguelike. It looks great, its Halloween theme is wonderful, and even though its internet parody worlds might be a little tonally dissonant, they still raise a smile. But there needs to be more to keep it feeling interesting, and as it is, slashing through the same enemies in the same environments time and time again just isn’t quite enough.

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.

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.

Grindstone‘s premise is simple in the best way possible: this is the sort of puzzle game that really gets its claws into you and doesn’t let go. Getting a high score in a daily challenge is a thrill, and getting a record-breaking chain is oh-so-satisfying. It helps that it looks fantastic, too, with a sumptuous hand-drawn art style. If you’re after a casual puzzle game with some substance, you really can’t get any better than this. Just prepare yourself to be unable to put it down.

Formula Retro Racing – World Tour is a fun but unremarkable way to waste away a number of hours. It’s nice that it packs in multiple modes and two classes of vehicles, even if the drift class isn’t quite as enjoyable to get to grips with as the other. And with its retro aesthetic and global leaderboards, some are likely to return to it again and again.

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.