It’s well worth a look for any wrestling or JRPG fan. With WWE and AEW mostly focusing on making simulation and sports-based titles, WrestleQuest has the kind of creativity and innovation that makes the wrestling world so special, and we desperately need more of it.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what it could be. Some tweaks to the formula would lead to a much stronger game, though the game at its core is a fantastic and innovative idea, and gave plenty of new concepts to excite me.

There is something amazing at the center of Stray Gods, but with the glaring technical issues, it’s hard to recommend it if you want to play a game without yeeting your PC out the window. It is incredibly unoptimized, draining the battery on my Steam Deck in less than two hours, and making the system almost too hot to handle. Even with the great art and the amazing characters and story, the musical aspect isn’t strong enough which is a major distraction when this is the game’s main selling point. I hope that someone tries this style of game again, it could truly be something incredible.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a fantastic return for a classic franchise, though it can feel a bit thin on the ground in terms of content. It’s in dire need of a .5 entry, like For Answer or Verdict Day. Don’t take that as a condemnation though – it needs a .5 entry because we need more Armored Core 6. This is a fantastic base for the future of Armored Core, and after playing this I need to see that future as soon as possible.

Immortals of Aveum is a solid first effort from a brand-new studio. It’s not without its troubles, of which there are many, and it absolutely does not land half of the concepts it’s trying to pull off, but there’s a glimmer of a great game in there. If nothing else, it’s worth playing just to see somebody do something different in a triple-A space that so rarely innovates.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is exactly what we’ve been missing and the best game of 2023 so far.

Dave the Diver’s unusual genre blend creates an infinitely satisfying and addictive gameplay loop, which, thanks to the constant influx of new mechanics and game content, feels fresh and rewarding until the very end.

Look, this game isn’t going to be for everybody, but as a cute little idle clicker that has you acting as either an angel for good or a demon for chaos, it’s a lot of fun to have running while you do other things on your PC.

So is it any good? Well, it’s better than I expected at least. The basic gameplay loop is that you get a dirty car into the shop, you wash it, clean the interior, and send it back to the owner. That’s about it. It’s a brainless busywork simulator, like PowerWash Simulator but not quite as fun. For killing the time when you don’t want to think though, it gets the job done.

As an introduction to metroidvanias, Disney Illusion Island is fine. At its very best, it is only barely serviceable, and there are far better games to start with if you want to dip your toes into the genre.

There are some exciting puzzles and well executed point-and-click elements which add to the story and encourage you to explore the town. But there are also some fighting sequences and quick time events, which seem completely opposite to the themes it’s going for. There are also a huge number of collectibles, which in general add to the world-building, but feel punishing as many are time or chapter specific. However, for these fumbles the story is so incredible that it’s easy to look past them, and enjoy one of the best stories gaming has to offer.

The DLC improves the whole package, and those who were left a little wanting by the base game will find that it delivers the game they were perhaps envisioning. An incredibly soothing experience, with aesthetically pleasing shapes and calming music. Don’t expect much more than this and you’ll enjoy yourself.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a brilliantly made action platformer. The action is as solid as the platforming, and it all comes together cohesively. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but solid level design and varied gameplay between levels keep things feeling fresh. Combine that with the solid gameplay mechanics, and you have yourself a winner. Rift Apart isn’t going to blow anybody away, but when a game is this well-made, you can’t help but play with a smile on your face.

Even with the empty worlds and the uneven approach to difficulty and puzzles, Pikmin 4 won me over with its charm. Sure, I miss the stronger emphasis on strategy, but roaming the dense woodlands and distant shores of a familiar alien beach with Oatchi and a crew of stalwart root vegetables is rewarding in itself. I just hope Nintendo leans into that exploration element even more in the next Pikmin.

Anyone who likes F1 Manager 2022 will love F1 Manager 2023. Anyone hoping for a steep jump in depth and mechanical crunch in the direction of Motorsport Manager will not find what they seek in this game either, though – the changes made in this year’s iteration won’t go far enough to get you on board.

It leaves me in a position where I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. I don’t actively hate it, and there are plenty of worse games that have come out this year, but “better than Forspoken” isn’t exactly a glowing compliment. There is something worthwhile in Remnant 2, but every time I started feeling it, something else would tick me off and snatch that feeling away.

The Queen’s Gambit Chess does its best to motivate you to play chess, and to keep playing chess. But whether this will transfer to real life, where Beth’s vision and markers on the board don’t exist is hard to see. However, it will certainly make you feel like a genius even when starting out, and that is as much as you can ask for a chess app.

Lost Signals is pretty much more Oxenfree, but better. That might seem disappointing from the sequel to something that promised to revolutionize adventure games, but the refined storytelling, intimate character moments, and creative presentation are, in this case at least, just as good as – if not better than – a brand-new idea.

I also experienced more than a few bugs throughout my 12 or so hours with the game. Some were small, like having to alt-tab in and out to interact with some elements, and others required a full reset of the game. Fall of Porcupine has the bones of a great game, but is unfortunately saddled with the flesh of merely a good game. It’s worth playing, if only for the lovely art style, but it probably shouldn’t be at the top of your priority list.

We Love Katamari was brilliant on the PS2, and it’s still brilliant now. If you’ve not played Katamari Damacy before, rectify that right now.

Pikmin 2 might not be a stone-cold essential like the first game, but it’s still brilliant and well worth playing in 2023.

Your spaceship has had parts break off and spread across the alien world, so you have to work with the Pikmin to get them all back. Most of the experience is filled with breeding new Pikmin and preparing your army for big expeditions, which may see you traverse the land while carrying a part for your ship, or doing battle with a tough boss monster.

Aside from all this romance games live and die on the cast, and there is an excellent cast of characters to choose from. No matter who you choose, you get to know everyone around you, and they bond together throughout the year independent of you. Each piece moves like fully formed people adding to that perfect feeling that what is happening is real. Jack Jeanne is the pinnacle, and evolution of the genre beyond simple dialogue trees. It’s a turning point for romance games, and we are unlikely to see a change so drastic for a long time.

The biggest sin is the pacing. Scenes are 10 to 30 seconds long, and then you make a new decision. There is loading between each one that makes it monotonous and boring. The idea at the root of it seems good, but the execution is too poor to carry it out. Harmony makes the classic error of telling me how much I should care about the characters without giving me any reason to.

You have to come into Sunshine Shuffle with the right expectations. You’re here to listen to an enjoyable story while a basic game of poker happens in the background.

The Murder of Sonic is a quirky addition to Sonic’s library, if not anything particularly ground-breaking. It might not make up for Sega trying to sell us the main menu and cutscenes for Sonic Origins separately, but it’s a nice gesture.

While there is a lot of strategy there is also a lot of cheese that makes it slightly less enjoyable. Stalling strategies are incredibly powerful, but leaning on them means that fights are long and slow paced. In particular, the Elemental Walls can block even the most powerful attacks, and the AI doesn’t play around them. Despite some balancing issues, and the hundred elemental reactions you have to memorize, Cassette Beasts is a game you will want to try out, even if you’re not a Nintendo fan.

Despite stumbling a few times in Lloyd’s route, Trails into Reverie is an impressive game that takes the series into emotionally and narratively deeper territory. The battle system might be familiar, but Reverie brings out its full potential – even if you aren’t patient enough to try and collect every character. The Trails series felt like it was stuck in a rut for a while, but Reverie imbues it with new energy and potential and promises a brighter future ahead.