Blazing Strike looks the part but struggles to put up a fight in a crowded market that is only getting stronger.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a fantastic bundle of Sonic games, which learned all the right lessons from Sonic Frontiers.

Played with friends, Starship Troopers: Extermination is an enjoyable enough time-killer, but it really lacks the polish and panache of its most immediate rivals.

Hot Wheels: Monster Trucks Stunt Mayhem won’t be a game for everyone but there’s a niche market out there that will absolutely lap it up.

If you never played the original, this is the perfect time to give it a go, as Arizona Sunshine Remake is filled with great gunplay and some beautiful environments.

Unknown 9: Awakening is more than decent, offering some fun combat and exploration with a cast of mostly likeable good guys and entertaining pantomime villains.

Drova: Forsaken Kin is a deep experience that feels enjoyable whether you're jumping in for an hour, or five.

Despite some iffy performance and a lot of proper nouns that I just couldn't track properly, I enjoyed my time with Mechwarrior 5: Clans.

Neva is a beautiful game that hits you right in the feels, with engaging combat and a soundtrack that'll sweep you off your feet.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is the biggest and best in the series to date, with a plethora of modes, and ways to play.

8-Bit Adventures 2 is a game clearly engineered by folk who have an innate reverence for the genre, and no doubt know their way around an early Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest.

Darksiders 2: Deathinitive Edition brings an underrated classic onto modern consoles, with improvements that give it a new lease of life.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World looks fantastic, plays brilliantly, and hits all of the right spots.

Ys X: Nordics is a fun enough RPG with enjoyable combat, but dull sailing sections and subpar visuals make it a slightly disappointing sequel.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a wonderful and unique fighting game that fans will love, but it takes a lot of dedication to learn how to play.

Phoenix Springs is an intriguing adventure game with a wonderful setting which it's fun to interact with, but don't expect it to be easy.

Throne and Liberty has some solid ideas, but it’s mostly held up by the combat and exploration, rather than the actual MMO elements.

Ballistic Moon has done a pretty good job with its take on Until Dawn, with improved camera angles, gorgeous visuals, and new scenes.

Europa is a gorgeous, transcendent mood piece that becomes an effective mindfulness exercise, an escape from reality.

Cryptmaster is a clever blend of dungeon crawling and word puzzles, and might just be the hidden gem you're looking for.

Pureya is an original, if short lived take on the microgame genre that is a half decent way to while away a bit of time.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire looks to recapture the magic of Skies of Arcadia, but slow combat and clunky controls let it down significantly.

Undisputed has a good swing, but in boxing, if you come at the king, you best not miss. Just like the irrepressible Canelo, Fight Night is still the reigning champ.

Dead Season is a decent game for fans of the turn-based genre who like to feel that everything is a little bit hopeless.

Silent Hill 2 is a masterclass in how to remake a horror classic, featuring clever puzzles, stunning visuals, and exceptional sound design.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is another landmark game from the Persona team, with top tier combat and a gripping story that I couldn't stop playing.

It’s not quite at the level of the games that inspired it, but Athena Crisis is a great effort with loads of customisation options.

The Patrick Star Game is the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of SpongeBob, with lots of silly activities and a lovely world to roll around.

RPG Maker WITH seems happy to leave newcomers behind, and as a result it presents as being less feature-rich and useful than it undoubtedly is.

EA delivers on a truly dynamic, next gen hockey experience in NHL 25, but neglects the modes that bookend the package.

Grunn is an inventive and surreal gardening sim that leads you down different paths with every run, never losing its appeal.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a worthy adventure and a great reason to head back to Sanctuary - if you ever left in the first place.

Despite a few technical issues, Metal Hellsinger VR is an exciting way to experience the original game, with one of the best soundtracks ever.

God of War Ragnarok is just as stunning as it was on PS5, and those wanting to enjoy such an incredible game now have the chance on PC.

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports has some flourishes of fun, but the clunky movement and unresponsive controls let it down.

Golden Lap is an addictive racing sim that has plenty of strategical elements for such a stripped back experience, making it fun to play.

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns is disappointing for those expecting a more exciting story, but the new characters are a cool addition.

Halls of Torment offers tons of replayability with minimal fuss, and is just challenging enough to keep you engaged for every moment.

EA Sports FC 25 has a focus on tactics that are mostly noticeable, and while Rush is a cool new mode, it does feel pretty similar to last year.

Ravenswatch is an absolute blast. Gorgeous to look at, smooth and responsive to play, and peppered with the kind of variety that encourages you to keep going back.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a good-looking, great sounding slice of old school action that fans will really enjoy.

Apartment Story may be short, but it has some good ideas and offers an engaging story alongside doing the pots or eating a ham sandwich.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is super accessible and very easy to get into, but deceptively difficult to master.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a gorgeous, brilliantly clever game in a series that continues to be unique and innovative.

Elsie doesn’t do a great deal new, but it is a great way to blast away a few hours in a world that looks and sounds beautiful.

Bloomtown: A Different Story is a charming RPG set in a sleepy American small town, with great combat and a banging soundtrack.

Exographer is a puzzle platformer with a healthy love of science, and its many clever mechanics make it a joy to dive into.

Filled with secrets and dangers, Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is a solid final offering for the three promised expansions.

Beyond Galaxyland shouldn't be missed, with exciting turn-based combat, a world ripe for exploration, and beautifully written characters.

Shadows of Doubt may have a few problems that hold it back, but it's easily one of the most ambitious and exciting games of the year so far.

DRIVE Rally is a well produced, fun rally experience. It’s imperfect but there’s plenty of time for tweaks before the full release in 2025. With a unique artistic style, arcade style handling, four charismatic co-pilots and a plethora of stages, there’s more than enough on offer for both beginners and rally veterans alike to enjoy in this early access release. [Early Access Review]

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a wonderful remake that looks gorgeous in many different ways, with simple yet fun platforming at its core.

Ara: History Untold is a vast strategy game that gives you plenty to do, but success consistently rewards you with new ways to play.

Persona 3 Reload's Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC may be lacking some social elements, but it's hard to deny more great Persona combat.

BZZZT might not be a game that breaks the platforming mould, but it's a hell of a good time with tight controls and varied stages.

Reynatis isn't an awful game to play, but it remains a pretty average experience throughout.

Parking Garage Rally Circuit will provide an instant shot of warm nostalgia for anyone who ever played a SEGA arcade racer in the mid 90s.

If you're desperate for a new game in the genre, The Karate Kid: Street Rumble has something, but there are better examples available.

The Jackbox Naughty Pack isn’t an essential addition to the overall Jackbox collection but by no means a disaster, either.

If you’re craving a new Metroidvania adventure then Marko: Beyond Brave will certainly kill a few hours.

Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged makes a classic point-and-click worth playing almost thirty years on, with stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.

Frostpunk 2 requires your patience and ability to make tough decisions, but rewards you for sticking with it and respecting its systems.

The Plucky Squire is a game oozing with charm and positivity, and the clever word and book based puzzles will keep you gripped from start to finish.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a stunning remaster, taking a beloved game and making it relevant and vital for modern players.

Despite having a silly name and a pretty well-worn premise, Evotinction is a solid debut from Spikewave.

UFO 50 is a celebration of retro gaming, full of wonderful modern ideas, sensational video games and a whole lot of content.

Shogun Showdown is a cracking game that lures you in nicely with its simplicity but eventually becomes a rather complex beast with a lot of very well thought-out moving parts.

Funko Fusion is unfortunately not the joyous celebration of pop culture it should be, thanks to frustrating enemies and lots of dull levels.

Despite some glitches here and there, which are likely a by-product of the speed, DeathSprint 66 is a lot of fun.

Unholy has some good moments, but it's let down with some odd gameplay choices and some janky cutscenes and poor acting.

Hollowbody is a classic survival horror experience which will delight fans of those PS2-era frights, but some of the dated elements will frustrate.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a delightful 2D platformer, with slick swinging gameplay and loads of lovely collectibles to gather.

Satisfactory is finally out of early access, with a plethora of content, and gameplay for all kinds of player. And it's simply superb.

I Am Your Beast wastes no time in establishing your character, Harding, as a John Wick-style badass, and keeps you there for the whole game.

Gimmick 2 is a sequel that improves on its original and inspiration, put together by a studio that clearly have reverence for their source material.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a baby sized adventure with an all grown up price tag, with poorly designed stages and frustrating enemies.

NBA 2K25 has improved greatly on the court thanks to Pro Play and the new dribbling mechanics, with some nice tweaks to various modes.

Yars Rising is a decent enough adventure, but it feels like a very odd way to revive Atari’s legendary franchise.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a beautifully curated selection of some of the best one-on-one combat games ever created.

What the Car looks darn great, it sounds wacky as hell and is about as much fun as I’ve had with a game this year so far.

Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown gives you plenty to do, with a fun world to explore and challenges to take part in, regardless of ability.

Demon's Mirror is a seriously clever Roguelike deck builder that blends cards and gems to create a wonderful if slightly overwhelming game.

Astro Bot is a love letter to video games that sets a new standard in 3D platforming, with ridiculously creative stages and gorgeous visuals.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is a superb foray into the universe and a more-than-worthy successor to the original.

Peglin is the blend of Peggle and Roguelike I never knew I needed, but the luck factor and repeating layouts let it down a little.

It is pleasing to that games like Akimbot are still being made, as there is a definite place in the market for well-crafted examples of platforming run and gun action.

Star Trucker is either wildly infuriating or incredibly relaxing, depending on how you approach it on a given day.

The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection bundles up two of the best games in this wonderful series, and demands to be played.

The Casting of Frank Stone does a superb job of telling a greater story within the world of DbD, with cool twists and references throughout.

The Castlevania Dominus Collection is a terrific collection for the fans, and you really couldn't ask for much more to be included.

Unleaving is a beautiful game with some impressive artwork and variety in its puzzles that keep you hooked until the very end.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a character action game full of blood, swearing and clever ideas, and if that doesn't excite you I don't know what will.

Crypt Custodian is a sensational top down Metroidvania, with compelling combat, loads of upgrades to experiment with, and of course cats!

BAKERU is a lovely Japan inspired action platformer, with novel drum-based combat and sensational collectables to gather.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash is a decent party game, but some poor events and a lack of tutorials spoil the experience a bit

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a superbly told story, and is engaging from start to finish.

Visions of Mana is an enjoyable adventure that doesn't push the boundaries but serves as a solid series entry for fans and newcomers alike.

My ultimate takeaway from Tactical Breach Wizards is that I simply didn’t expect it be so refreshing.