There have been some great 007 games before, but none of them have managed to capture the experience of a full Bond adventure and the way it ebbs and flows between explosive set-pieces, grounded action, and quieter moments like IO Interactive manages here. 007 First Light just gets James Bond. [Hands-On Impressions]

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a triumphant return for the legendary strategy RPG series. Even in early access, this is the best entry since the iconic Heroes 3, combining the appeal of the classics with slick modernization and plenty of fresh ideas. This launch is a terrific starting point, and is already incredibly feature-rich, offering near limitless play. While the campaign is incomplete, what's there is a solid entry point for this deep and unique turn-based take on the genre.

Coming from Don't Nod, it's a shame that both Aphelion's storytelling and climbing mechanics feels so lackluster, with Uncharted-like sci-fi action failing to make much of an impact at all. Some gorgeous alien vistas and a decent premise fail to interest for long when simply controlling characters feels clunky and uninteresting.

A firm improvement on its predecessor even at this early stage, Slay the Spire 2's slight twist on its deckbuilding philosophy might not appeal to everyone, but makes for a rewardingly complex alternative. [Early Access Review]

Naturally I couldn't resist the chance to revisit Avowed a year on, with the PS5 launch giving me the perfect excuse. But I don't feel like I'm repeating history by replaying the same game at the exact same time in 2026, because its big anniversary update alongside its release on Sony's console really does change things for the better – and after sinking 20 hours into a fresh playthrough, I've never been more convinced that now's the time to play Obsidian's RPG (no matter what platform you're on).

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault's early access launch offers entertaining dungeon-crawling and smart inventory and management minigames, even if the devs are still figuring out exactly how those systems all combine. [Early Access Review]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is the definition of a crying shame. Clumsy writing and flat, repetitive world design expose a handful of good ideas that never take root, while its poor technical quality and unstable performance will render it unplayable for some. The result is a half-baked, blunt-toothed action-mystery hybrid that disappoints at almost every turn, struggling to leave even the ghost of a good impression.

Despite springing from minds that are obviously clued in to horror, Hotel Barcelona never manages to escape genre cliches and become its own beast, resulting in an experience that vanishes from your mind as soon as you close it. Leaden combat and poor dialogue put the final nail in this game's coffin.

Grounded 2 is terrific fun, even if this is currently a slightly safe sequel to a true original. It's still a treat to play, with improved combat and a fantastic new park to explore. Let's hope the rideable buggy is just the beginning of lots more great new ideas to come in what's already a substantial early access release. [Early Access Review]

Control without the superpowers was always going to be a tough sell. Sadly, FBC: Firebreak makes a pretty appalling case. Moments of supernatural whimsy are few and far between, bogged down by repetitive objectives centering around shooting some pretty mediocre feeling guns.

With a mediocre story and lackluster gameplay that wastes the potential of its sci-fi premise of big tech and AI, MindsEye is a resoundingly disappointing action-adventure that's neither satisfying as an old genre throwback nor presents a confident foundation for others to build upon.

Though a lot of my experience with Oblivion Remastered is fueled by nostalgia, I'm a big fan of the deeper changes it makes. While the original game's mechanics are a tough sell for anyone who plays without the benefit of nostalgia, the remaster makes it all far more palatable. Levelling up is now more straightforward and offers more control over how your character develops, allowing you to put specific points into attributes. Combat isn't miraculously on par with modern RPGs like Avowed and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but it's serviceable; feeling leaps and bounds more textured than it did in 2006. You can sprint! [Review in Progress]

For all the noise about a rich simulated reality, inZOI currently underperforms and overpromises. It's a gorgeous game with a best-in-class character creator, but doesn't provide anything amounting to a fulfilling life for its Zois, who largely exist to eat, sleep, and go to work. All of the pieces are in place, and there's hope yet, but its depiction of life's narrative falls short at present. [Early Access Review]

Right now, Hyper Light Breaker feels like a mash-up of ideas from disparate console generations, very PS2-feeling combat coming up against modern live service sensibilities, with flashes of visual stylings from everything in between. Mobs and environmental features repeat way too quickly, and the loot and perks aren't as interesting as they could be. [Early Access Review]

Path of Exile 2 is a thrilling and sprawling action-RPG with fantastic combat and impressive character customization options, but will require some patience to fully appreciate. Even in early access with a fraction of the planned content, it offers a robust package for players who want to dive into buildcrafting and master their own way to tear through dungeons. [Early Access Review]

Exploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape. So too is the eco-friendly job of returning the land to fertility, even if the incredible trailer scenes are not actually what you'll be playing for tens of hours. The heavy emphasis on crafting and perishable tools isn't fun, but the devs' roadmap looks promising and the rewards are certainly there if you persevere. [Early Access Review]

The novelty of a 13-character cast is a solid hook for Wild Bastards, but a myriad of streamlined and sidelined elements compromise its potential to the point of becoming a trip to outer space that you won't remember for long after hitting credits.

Stormgate has the makings of a great RTS, but it needs a stronger identity of its own in its full release. [Early Access Review]

Cataclismo needs a little more time in the oven to really polish up its systems, but it has great bones and Early Access will probably do it a ton of favors. [Early Access Review]

A lackluster and fragmented game that never really comes together in any meaningful way. In almost every sense that matters, from story to combat, horror, and atmosphere, Alone in the Dark leaves much to be desired.

Lightyear Frontier is a delightfully peaceful adventure in an inviting world that shows a lot of potential in Early Access. While it's in need of a little refinement to make the experience more streamlined overall, the mech offers up a fun, fresh approach to farming, with a variety of tools to play with and a satisfying sense of progression. [Review in Progress]

Nightingale is an enchantingly pretty game that can't hide the fact that there's not much interesting beneath the surface. Those familiar with survival games may find this one too familiar, though it's rarely offensive - with the exception of some technical and server issues. [Early Access Review]

Palworld is a strange and obliviously cruel game that nonetheless shows effort and some real thought running through its core design. Consequently, the end result (so far) is an arguably-functional hybrid of several proven formulas that still can't help feeling like a tonal car crash. [Early Access Review]

Fntastic has confirmed that development has ceased on The Day Before, just four days on from its launch into Early Access. Steam has since stopped allowing anybody to purchase the game, although our review of The Day Before remains – giving you some insight into the state the extraction shooter was in at release. [Review in Progress]

Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most underwhelming entries in Call of Duty's 20 year history. A lackluster campaign can't distract from the tired multiplayer formula. Decade old maps, messy progression, and misaligned changes to mobility and gunplay leaves MW3 lost trying to find an identity to call its own.

Cities: Skylines 2 offers the foundation of a world-class city-building game, with a wide array of features, smart quality-of-life improvements, and a genuinely impressive simulation to help bring your town to life. But its promise is completely overshadowed by its technical problems, dragging a fantastic core experience down into frustration and disappointment.

Witchfire enters early access with a bright future ahead of it. While there's certainly some rough edges, The Astronauts has assembled the skeleton of a capable fusion between FPS sensibilities and roguelite punishments, and I'm keen to see how it evolves over time from here. [Early Access review]

No matter what nominally noticeable technical changes are happening under Madden 24's hood, they don't represent the gargantuan changes needed to bring the NFL series in line with various yearly sports game competition.