Again, I don’t have a ton of experience with Doctor Who, so I may be the completely wrong person to be judging The Edge of Reality. But given that the series has been around for about sixty years, I’m perfectly willing to accept that it’s a fun, substantive universe. Unfortunately, none of that comes through with this game.

Russian Subway Dogs isn’t quite the perfect swan song for the Vita (personally, that would’ve been either inFamous Vita or Bioshock Vita ever seeing the light of day), but it’s still an incredible high note for the system to go out on. It’s a passion project where you can see exactly why the creator was so passionate, and anyone who still has a Vita should be sure to check it out.

I’m sure that with plenty of patches, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition could reach a point where it becomes worth revisiting these games, but at this point in time, that seems a long, long way off.

Overall, there isn’t much content to even write about with Battlefield 2042. There’s 7 maps in the base game (this doesn’t include the 6 maps available in Portal, because those are just direct pulls from their respective original games), and 3 game modes to choose from. The game is enjoyable, but it doesn’t do much to stand out from the last few iterations of the series and without a campaign, feels like it’s lacking in content. Hopefully some updates and adjustments can help clear up some of the issues I experienced, especially with the balancing in the Breakthrough mode. As it stands, if you’re looking for just more Battlefield, but with a different setting, this is a good option. If you’ve not been a big fan of Battlefield in the past, or at least in the recent past entries, I don’t think they’ve changed enough here to change your mind.

Everything looks blurry and unfocused, and the game makes use of the old “shroud everything in fog to hide shortcomings” trick that horror games used a few generations ago. Even worse, you can practically see the world falling apart, whether you’re looking from a distance (and you see gaps where buildings need to pop in) or up close (where the game’s assets don’t fully materialize). It’s bad, and there’s no way around that unfortunate fact. And it really is unfortunate, because, as I said, there are quite a few good elements to be found here. I’d even go so far as to say that if you can overlook how hideous it is, then Lost in Random is incredibly rewarding. But at the same time, there are some very real performance issues here, and if you don’t want to spend dozens of hours straining your eyes at ugly graphics, I certainly wouldn’t blame you.

Dreamscaper is absolutely gorgeous. As befits a game that takes place in dreams — where you go to battle the monsters of sadness and loss — the whole thing has a dreamlike quality, with the edges of each room barely sketched in. In fact, even when the heroine is awake, the game still retains a half-awake, otherworldly feeling thanks to its graphics. Yet, despite all these good qualities, I still can’t get into Dreamscaper. But, because of all these good qualities, I totally get why others might be able to. It’s not my cup of tea, but if you like a well-made roguelike, it’s very likely that it will be yours.

Obviously, Don’t Touch This Button is hampered by the fact that other games have mined very similar territory, and done the same kind of thing much better. If this were a world where none of those games existed, Don’t Touch This Button might have more to recommend it, but as it stands, you should probably just play those games instead.

There’s a lot to discover and uncover in Golf Club: Wasteland. Each course offers rewards in the form of log entries, detailing the events that lead the character you play as to where he is now. The game may not be super long, but a lot of love is clearly present from the development team. If you’re looking for a calm game to just kick back, put on some headphones and just play, few get to nearly the same level of peacefulness.

Add it all up, and Astro Aqua Kitty is a delight in every way imaginable.

I absolutely adore Forza Horizon 5, and while it’s possible to fault it as being a bit more of the same when compared to Forza Horizon 4, I’m not sure that’s actually a bad thing. It’s a more polished experience overall, and while it may be playing it safe just a tad, it’s hard to deny that the game is a technical marvel, and a fantastic show piece for Xbox Series X and 4K displays everywhere. Even if you opt to play in performance mode to hit that sweet 60fps spot, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how great everything looks in motion. So yes, if you’re not already convinced, do yourself a favor and check out Forza Horizon 5 when it launches this week.

Is it on par with FIFA’s production values? Of course not: it’s an indie-made, retro-tinged soccer game. But simply by making soccer feel fun and fast-moving, Super Arcade Football is a worthy entry into the Switch’s crowded soccer field.

Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a dull, uninspired action RPG that never rises above mediocrity, and unless you really want to waste 20+ hours on something that’s totally generic, I don’t see why you’d want to bother.

Perhaps the weirdest thing about Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask is that it’s very clearly aimed at young kids. It’s been years since I was a kid, but based on the few young kid gamers I know, I can’t imagine many would have the patience to deal with terrible controls like these — particularly when there are plenty of much better, much fairer platformers available to them. For that matter, I don’t have the patience to deal with Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask’s terrible controls. Or anything else about it, really. It may look bright and shiny and welcoming, but it quickly becomes clear that there are far better platformers out there.

Overall, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a very welcome addition to the Call of Duty franchise. Sledgehammer has always helped drive the franchise forward into adventurous new territories and Vanguard is no exception. If you find yourself itching for a new FPS in your life, Vanguard is ready for you to pick up and is easy enough to drop into so that you’ll never feel out of place as a new player. If you’re wary about picking this game up because you’re someone who didn’t like the change from 2019 Modern Warfare’s engine to Treyarch’s in Cold War, then you’ll be happy to learn that this runs on Modern Warfare’s engine and the gunplay and visuals remain entirely intact.

All things considered, Knights & Guns feels like it would’ve been an amazing game to play, say, thirty years ago in an arcade — someplace where the action wouldn’t feel quite as repetitive, and where you’d be able to enjoy its fiery action in all its loud, brightly coloured glory. As it stands, it probably doesn’t do enough to stand out among the many shmups that call the Switch home — whether it’s a slight variation on the usual or not.

Riders Republic definitely does check most of the boxes for what I would like to see in an open world extreme sports title. My only real criticism is that with all the variety of sports, events, equipment and environments, it still starts to feel a bit repetitive after reaching a certain level. The Big/Boss and Sponsor events help to overcome that to an extent and I’m hoping the addition of new sports, fresh live events, and themed seasonal/limited events will as well when they roll out in the future. For now, Riders Republic is a super fun pick up and play multiplayer outdoor sports experience with plenty to see and do right out of the box.

All in all, I’ve absolutely enjoyed my time spent with Shin Megami Tensei V. If you’re looking for a good, meaty RPG to sink your teeth into this holiday season, it definitely fits the bill. The small additions made to the Shin Megami formula work out really well here, and the game doesn’t feel hindered on Switch hardware. It’s nice to see the series leap away from a handheld platform and back to a mainline console release, and hopefully this will draw more attention to Shin Megami Tensei as a whole. So yeah, definitely consider checking this one out when it drops on November 12th, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

LEGO Builder’s Journey wants to remind you of what it was like to play with LEGO as a kid, and it never lets you forget that. In fact, coupled with the tinkly piano soundtrack, at times it all starts to feel calculated and treacly, as they try their hardest to pull on your heartstrings. While I get why they’d want to do that, in its own way it feels as calculated as any of those licensed games. But I’m probably being far too cynical about LEGO Builder’s Journey. In fact, I’d say this: if you want a LEGO game that’s actually about LEGO, rather than about using LEGO to see something else, then LEGO Builder’s Journey is exactly the kind of game you need to play.

Much like the story of the man it is “based on”, I think people will be unaware of this extremely competent title. It’s a tad short for my liking, but it is an otherwise complete experience. Hopefully the game’s marketing team will find the right influencers to champion this title. Those who do find it will get a chance to experience an enjoyable game and learn about the colonial history of an area that increasingly finds itself on the world stage.

It may borrow some obvious elements from much better-known (and, frankly, probably better-made) games, but if you give it a chance, Beasts of Maravilla Island should be able to win you over with its charms.

Cruis’n Blast is arcade racing in its absolute best form imaginable, and if you want a racing game that leaves you grinning like an idiot the entire time you’re playing it, I couldn’t recommend it any more highly.

NEOGEO Pocket Selection is a good collection for those who were fans of the System and those who are curious about the system. While the selection is a bit lacking, all of the games play well and offer great fun and challenge. It’s lack of extras and bare bones presentation may put off some, but many should be able to look past that and enjoy the games they have included. Some games like Dark Arms and Crush Roller are a miss, but others will keep pulling you back even after you beat them. Even with its shortcomings, I can recommend this collection to anyone looking for some nostalgic challenge.

I’m a simple man (not in game), give me a comic interpretation made by people who appreciate and understand the source material and tell a captivating story and you’ve got me hooked. There’s not much to do outside of the bit of collectibles and costumes after you beat the game but maybe if Guardians does well enough we’ll see some strong DLC content. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is built to be a holiday season blockbuster (I mean is anything else even coming out this holiday?), and all of its accessibility options make it the perfect gift for anyone.

Looking back, this title should of been included in NEOGEO Pocket Selection. It could of been a good replacement for games like Crush Roller or Dark Arms, or as a fantastic addition to the roster. Why this release was stand alone is a bit puzzling, but it could of been due to licensing or copyright. If you are looking for one of the best games that the NEOGEO Pocket had to offer in it’s heyday, then it’s a no brainer that you should try this one out. Out of all the fighters on the system, this one is the best!

The studio that made this game was also responsible for 2018’s The Dreamlands, which was also marked by being appallingly putrid in every way imaginable. Killer Dolls United continues that trend, but is somehow even worse. It’s a bad game, and even if you’re a Vita completionist like me, it’s one you should strongly consider skipping.

Puzzle Bobble 3D is a good attempt in recreating the classic puzzler, but falls a little flat when not played in VR. If you don’t have access to a PSVR, or an Oculus, then you can completely skip this release. For those with access to VR, you’ll find a decent puzzle game but not too much else. If you are a fan of popping bubbles, give this one a try, just don’t attempt to play it without VR.

To The Colonists’ credit, it does a fairly good job of helping you create your settlements exactly as you want them. It can be a little annoying to place a pathway just so near the end of the fishing pier or the defensive fortifications, but when you take the time to plan things out, it’s still neat to see how it all comes together.

I really dug NHL 22, the new engine, the tried and true smooth gameplay, it hit all the check boxes for me. I do wish they had a new mode or two since I last played the series two years ago and that $10 next gen “fee” can be a tough pill to swallow for fans that pick up the release every year, but it still gets my recommended seal of approval. EA survives the power play, but I don’t know if they can handle another one (another hockey pun, sorry).