My time with Read Only Memories: Neurodiver will remain a memorable one. Although I had some issues with the puzzles and the story not being extensive enough, the game’s characters, setting, premise and soundtrack were enough to make up for it.

Rusty’s Retirement is simplicity done well. Not only does it take a basic concept and make it enjoyable and entertaining, but without being imposing, it also highlights what makes indie devs so invaluable to the games industry. Big name publishers wouldn’t recognise the appeal of such a low participation activity, yet for cosy gamers and dreamers who want their farms only a click away, it delivers everything.

LEGO Horizon Adventures gets so much right, and Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have created a truly wonderful experience that I’m sure will be enjoyed by fans both old and new … if they can justify that price tag. It’s a shame because LEGO Horizon Adventures is well worth picking up if you overlook that but when, for many, money is tighter than ever, that’s not possible. This is a steep price for the amount of content on offer - even if the game does boast dazzling visuals and stellar combat. If Horizon Forbidden West is also to be adapted, LEGO Horizon Adventures establishes some solid foundations, but I’d want to see a greater level of ambition next time around.

Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol 1 is a welcome history lesson for anyone who thought portable play at the turn of the millennium was all about Nintendo. SNK had a good thing going with the Pocket Color - and given half a chance, with better backing and more third-party support (a fantastic Sonic game aside, which sadly isn't on this set, non-SNK games were thin on the ground), you wonder if it might've given the Game Boy a decent run for its money.

My advice before I leave you to mull over whether you’ve got enough moxie for this job, is to pause time as often as you need to. Just make sure you unpause it to fulfil some of the actions you’ve requested, e.g. returning an animal to its habitat. From there, just pray to the conservation gods that you have the fortitude to see this through.

This is a game that’ll make you smile. It’s impossible to play through one of the jolly stages or even simply wander around Merry Magoland without feeling a warmth in your heart, and that’s not something that every game can do.

For those who need their games to be about something more tangible, to have a story told in audio logs and written lore, FAR: Changing Tides isn’t for you. Nothing convincingly clicks, plot wise, until its final hours, before which it’s enigmatic, melancholic and abstract - again, so much in the same vein as the game that came before it, albeit with a longer play time. Whether the freshness the new vehicle brings is enough for you to take a second trip, only you know - but even those who never experienced the barren flats of Lone Sails could well find the beauty in the compelling cataclysm of Changing Tides.

Valorant is a lot of fun to try and master though a little tricky to pick up at first. The gunplay feels as precise as any shooter on the market and the cast of agents add to the erratic nature of unique gameplay situations. The game has only just come out of beta, so improvements and additions are likely to be made in the future. Valorant is very good right now, but it has the potential to be truly great.

The Outlast Trials is an example of a beloved series trying something new, and for the most part it works. The trials themselves are enjoyable, with huge maps to explore, memorable psychos to avoid and enough spooks and jumpscares to keep you entertained for a long time. The game is made, and works best, with multiple players in mind, and while that does take away from the overall horror, what replaces it is a barrel full of laughs as you watch your friend get ripped out of a locker and smacked with a big stick, and that’s good enough for me.

Not Tonight: Take Back Control Edition is a good time, all things considered. Checking IDs is satisfying enough to make you feel good for doing it well, but it can grow stale at times. There's plenty of comedy in there too, especially if you're a fan of gallows humour, but this game's ability to capture the feeling of dystopian totalitarianism is where it really shines.

Like Master Onion himself, Sifu has layers - and the closer you get to its centre, the more you understand its own structure, what makes it and its many obstacles tick. The closer you get to it, the clearer the details between the deckings. And just like a peeled onion, it might well make you cry. There’s no shame in that, here - but you’d best accept up front that it’s not going to get any easier, or sting any less, the more you slice into it.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a unique game with some truly marvelous qualities to it. Visually, it's beyond compare thanks to its unusual art style and the surreal, unnerving way it brings everything together. Sadly, SMT3 will probably be appreciated a lot more by fans of the original because of its obvious age, but I'd encourage any JRPG fan to give it a try.

If you’re exclusively a Nintendo Switch gamer, then this port is an ideal place to begin your journey in the series. That being said, if you’re a returning fan who has been desperate to play this series on the go, Yakuza Kiwami is a dream come true - especially if you thought this day would never come. Now if you excuse me, I’m off to sing some karaoke with Kiryu and his friends.

Arcade 2nd Stadium doesn’t feel as necessary as its predecessor, where buying all of its 32 games gave you an astounding compilation, possibly the greatest-ever arcade collection of all time.

I think if I was more invested in the TRON world, or had a passion for the narratives that have already been told, I would have enjoyed TRON: Catalyst much more. With the lack of drive to see this world unfurl before me, it really felt like a simple action game, moving from point-to-point, with decent combat. It’s dripping with gorgeous design, and I could walk around in the world happily, or zoom around on my bike, all day, but the isometric view does remove some immersion. There’s a spark here, and a high level of polish, but I think it just wasn't really for me in the end.

Despite the niggles, Expeditions is a bit of a rugged gem and it offers just as much joy as frustrations, which is a balance that will tip to the former depending on your mileage.

While it’s far from perfect, I can safely recommend A Space for the Unbound to anyone looking for a cosy indie title with real emotional weight imbued within.

If you enjoy WWII shooters, you’ll still have a good time with Call of Duty: Vanguard. Sledgehammer Games have graced the WWII era once again with their innovative approach to multiplayer and packed it full of maps. The campaign, albeit short, gives you a unique view of WWII at the heart of one of the deadliest squads. And the Zombies mode? It exists, but the less said about it, the better.

While it doesn't necessarily add anything new to the game aside from a different point of view, that could definitely be enough for the majority of people. At its core PowerWash Simulator is a simple title that aims to pull you out of reality for a bit and deliver a soothing, chilled-out gameplay experience. Shifting that experience into VR just makes it that much more enjoyable. [Meta Quest 3]

I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll return to the synthesised tunes of Beat Slayer, albeit in a sporadic fashion; as compelled as I am to keep playing, I can’t see me spending day after day replaying it. Beat Slayer thrives on being played in short, energetic bursts. But no matter how long I go between another run, I will always be a slave to the rhythm.

In spite of its flaws, RE:CALL is a really enjoyable time. Its reality-bending gameplay mechanic is distinctive and presented in varied ways throughout the chapters so it never gets overdone, and some of the characters have a surprising amount of depth to them - there’s also some genuinely moving messages about growing from negative experiences. It might not be one of 2023’s most anticipated titles, you shouldn’t let this unique indie pass you by.

While it isn't perfect, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity proves its value by serving up one of the most epic tales Princess Zelda has ever starred in. There's a magic within this game's story, reminiscent of Ocarina of Time, and that's something to cherish. The relatively simplistic gameplay may detract from the overall impression, but that won't stop me playing it again.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a gobsmackingly gorgeous action-horror with enemies that you won’t forget any time soon, not only for their eclectic appearances but their formidable ferocity in combat too. It’s a moreish game, and I want to trawl through every inch of this odd facsimile of the capital city, though I hope that Tango Gameworks rolls out an accessibility settings update to allow even more fans to enjoy this glittery and ghostly game.

I really like that the difficulty of Warsaw seems intrinsically tied to the plight of the Polish people during the Uprising, even if it does at times make the game more punishing than fun. Having never played it on PC (or for that matter the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One) it's difficult to say whether the Nintendo Switch is the way to experience the game, but I am happy to concede playing it there felt like a completely natural experience. If you're in need of a new roguelike and have an affinity for World War Two history, Warsaw is well-worth a look.

All in all, if you're a fan of the Monster Hunter franchise then this new instalment will absolutely tick all your boxes and more, what with all the new additions it brings. While Monster Hunter World was definitely a game designed more to welcome new players, Monster Hunter Rise calls back to the core fans. If you're relatively new, this might be intimidating at first; but once you get the hang of it there's a lot of fun to be had, either solo or with a group of friends.

As a video game sequel, it ticks all the boxes of being bigger and better with more to say. But as a story, as an experience following one of the most critically acclaimed tales ever told in this medium, it sits uncomfortably on a knife's edge, waiting for the passage of time to pull it one way or the other.

With each new discovery, I find myself steadily falling in love with The Garden Path’s approach to cosy gaming; it’s more than just a genre, it’s a way of life. Take your time. Admire your surroundings. Focus on your journey. These are all life lessons we desperately need to listen to and act on, yet we rarely do. The Garden Path won’t magically transform your life, but it’ll sow the seeds of a new way of thinking. Whether they take root is up to you.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have finally delivered on the promise of an open-world entry, but with all the technical issues and stripped-back features, it’s hard to not feel like the Nintendo Switch held these games back. But if this is what an open-world Pokémon game is now, it's tantalising to consider what is coming in the future.