I would recommend that you buy Highwater for the soundtrack alone if anything else. The moments I got to sail around and just listen and take in what was happening around me were fabulous. If you can get past the very sobering fact that we are currently dealing with a climate crisis in real-time, I would give this one a try.

If you don’t care about the various characters that make up The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology, you’re just left with a 3D platformer where you move at a crawl and you’re constantly getting stuck in frustrating stealth sections. That may be fine for fans, but for everyone else, I have to imagine it’ll be a non-starter.

The Switch has plenty of fishing games on offer, so there’s no need to waste your time with one as frustrating and dull as Pocket Fishing.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my time with qomp2. I found it to be boring, frustrating and not very fun overall. Granted there is NOTHING wrong with the game itself, as everything is presented as intended by the developers. It’s just one of those games that will not appeal to everyone. Some people out there may like it while others, like me, will find it repetitive and boring. If you are looking for a puzzle game, based off of a classic game that is challenging to the mind while offering a feeling of slight accomplishment, then you should give this one a try. Everyone else, I suggest you skip this one. qomp2 is not broken or bad, but definitely not for everyone.

You’ve got an interesting setting, a ton of material, all kinds of ideas, and a studio that clearly knows what it’s doing. That all of that got combined into something as forgettable as this is pretty disappointing, and it makes it awfully easy to skip past this game without a second thought.

Overall this is an excellent sequel to the series and great addition for new players and experienced ones. After an 11 year wait since the previous title it feels good to say that Shiren is back.

As I said up top, the whole game is something you’re either going to love or hate. Pacific Drive isn’t going to leave many (or any) people saying, “Enh, it was okay.” You might think it’s a brilliant take on the survival genre, or you might think it’s endless amounts of busy work without enough of a payoff, but either way, it’s guaranteed to get a reaction out of you.

I know I really hammered on the Showcase mode, but I really did enjoy my time with WWE 2K24 as a whole, I just expected better from that mode especially based on its history. Regardless of that mode this is the definitive wrestling video game of this year or even the past five years! The enormous roster and multitude of match types will leave you with many hours of dream matches or fantasy bookings. This is an absolute buy, so grab a copy and FINALLY finish your story. Also let’s go McIntyre!

Of course, I’m sure I’ll regret complimenting Golfinite a few months from now, when there are half a dozen different versions of the game clogging up the New Releases section. But for now, before we get the rush of “Ultra Deluxe Summertime Fun Editions” that are surely in its future, I’ll say that golf fans could do a lot worse than checking Golfinite out.

Block Buster Billy is definitely worth checking out if you like your puzzle games hard. It’ll challenge you and it’ll probably frustrate you, but you can rest assured that it’ll make you think.

There’s a great game somewhere inside Penny’s Big Breakaway, and it’s entirely possible we’ll see it one day, but right now, it’s just not there yet.

Overall, I think Promenade is a platforming adventure that’s definitely worth your time. It has a decent challenge curve, enough so that it might not be for everyone, but the difficulty never feels particularly unfair, and failing a tough segment generally only sets you back a handful of seconds. It’s also an absolutely beautiful looking game, well animated, and the various worlds and areas you uncover are often cleverly designed, especially compared to other likeminded platformers out there. I loved Promenade, and I think you will too, so check it out when you get a chance.

Ultimately, it’s hard to know who Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 is for and why it exists. If there are still Ty the Tasmanian fans pining away for the series’ PS2 glory days, they’re not likely to care much for this 2D take on a 3D series. And for everyone else, it’s hard to see why you’d want to play this instead of the many, many other 2D platformers out there that look nicer and have much more interesting gameplay.

Overall, I wouldn’t say Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a challenging game. It’s a nice puzzle and platformer that urges you to want to collect all the collectables in each stage for that gold star marking your completion. I would say it’s a good introduction to some puzzle games for younger audiences, or if you just want something to relax with and play, Nintendo has you covered with this release. It’s not the deepest game you’ll play, and it’s not super complex, but I find that it is a very nice game to sit down and just bang out a few levels. If you’re looking for something nice and simple, but yet something you can still have an enjoyable time with, definitely look in the direction of this new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game.

Touch The Artwork 2 is a short game, so it’s not like the developer is giving away hours upon hours of content, but while it lasts – an hour or two, depending on how leisurely you stroll through the artwork – it’s thoroughly memorable.

I’ve absolutely loved playing through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and I’m happy to say that Square Enix once again delivered with this release. It’s a fantastic follow-up to Remake that expands the world of Final Fantasy VII even more, and it’s a sequel that shouldn’t be missed. Whether you’re a hardcore Final Fantasy VII fan, or someone that came on board via the Remake, you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re after a fun Souls-like and missed it last time around – especially on PC! – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition gives you a chance to rectify that.

For a niche audience, Skull & Bones may be a GOTY contender. But for everyone else, it’s hard to imagine the appeal. Skull & Bones is a grind-heavy game with not a lot of payoff, unless your idea of payoff is being asked to grind some more. You’d think that a game that spent 11 years in development would have more than just one idea repeated ad nauseam, but the evidence here suggests that’s really all there is.

All in all, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic co-op game with lots of content (and arguably the best structure to live service I’ve seen in a long time) wrapped up in a nice $40 package. The price point is right (even if you take into consideration the additional $20 “upgrade”), the content is plentiful and it feels like a game that respects your time. I genuinely have a hard time saying anything negative about the game, especially now that the servers are stabilized and the developers are active on Twitter (X, if you care about that detail) updating the community about game updates and stability hiccups. It is a bit on the difficult side if you’re not playing with at least a friend, but I highly recommend a full group of 4 for the best experience. There are a good few types of missions, and some of them are very challenging as a solo player. If you don’t mind a good challenge, however, or have friends you can party up with, Helldivers 2 is a fantastic time and I sincerely believe you will enjoy yourself.

However frustrating Tomb Raider I-III Remastered may be to modern eyes, there’s no denying that these games perfectly capture the spirit of the originals. Whether any of that is enough to appeal to modern audiences remains to be seen, but if you want a game that caters to your PS1 nostalgia, this is definitely it.

Banishers is definitely better than Don’t Nod’s previous action efforts, and if they decide to revisit this world again, they’ll be starting from a very solid base.

Tekken 8 continues the fine balance of pulling up newcomers while catering to seasoned players. Despite a vocal minority already raising a stink about the game’s post launch plans, Tekken 8 is a fully featured game worthy of your money. Players will not need to worry about a Tekken 8+ or a Tekken 9 coming in the near future. Harada and team have built a fine foundation and Tekken 8 will be facilitating a lot of “Good Ass Tekken” for years to come. Now if you need me I’ll be in the lab, cause newbie crushing can only be so fun for so long…maybe it’s time for me to elevate my game (well until I get the platinum trophy and move on…but at least it’ll be a fun time.)!

It’s too bad that the platforming can’t also be described as near-perfect, since that would’ve made The Cub a must-play. As it stands, it’s a surprisingly appropriate sequel to a game that wouldn’t have seemed like it needed one, and if you want more of that apocalyptic Earth, you won’t regret revisiting it here.

Cavern of Dreams is very much a game for a specific kind of person. As noted above, someone who loves ‘90s 3D platformers, doesn’t mind a few quirks here and there, and has a high tolerance for gaudy colours. If that’s you, you’ll want to check this out.

It’s not about to make you forget Rocksteady’s other games, but it’s not trying to, either. It’s a game that’s all about the simple joys of soaring through the air, blowing away aliens, and making funny quips afterwards – and there are far worse things for a game to be.

All in all, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes is a fantastic game. It plays well, it looks great, and it sounds fantastic. I would advise being careful with buying it on PC for now, but console experiences have all sounded smooth. If you’re a fan of 2D anime fighters, I cannot recommend this one enough. I’ve no doubts you will have a blast listening to killer music while watching your character do stylish moves on whoever you’re up against.

At $50 this is a solid collection of three really good portable games, rezzed up to modern HD screens and dimensions, with slight tweaks to account for former touchscreen controls and menus, making all three games feel right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Whether you’ve played the original releases or you’re jumping in for the first time, you really can’t go wrong with checking this collection out. It’s great to have the entire main series collected on the Switch, and hopefully this will help open the door for more Ace Attorney games in the near future.

I can’t imagine playing Witch Rise long enough to get bored by any of it. It’s a Ratalaika-published game, which means you’ll unlock all its trophies long, long before you’ve explored every nook and cranny of the dungeon and defeated the eponymous witch. If trophies are all you’re after, that may be enough, but otherwise, it’s hard to feel too enthused about any of this.