Die by the Blade has a few good ideas in its sheathe, but ultimately it fails to generate any genuine excitement.

If you're a diehard fan of this kind of game then Arcadia: Colony is worth a look, just don’t expect a Metroid or Cave Story level experience.

Mullet Madjack is a fantastic boomer shooter, with Roguelike elements and loads of fresh mechanics that mean you'll never get bored.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is filled with tricky puzzles that require patience, pens and plenty of paper, but can be hugely satisfying.

If you're into the survival crafting genre, action RPGs, or vampires in general, V Rising is an absolute blast, alone or with others.

It's hard to deny Fabledom's innate charm. It's an incredibly likable game, easy to understand and simple to get hooked on.

Swarm 2 features some fantastic traversal that works incredibly well in VR, with solid gunplay and a satisfying roguelike loop.

Crow Country is a wonderful throwback to those early survival horror games that scared us years ago, with a couple of great mod cons.

Braid Anniversary Edition is a reminder of how good the original was, with stellar visuals and puzzles that are tough yet rewarding.

There’s a lot to do in Biomutant on Nintendo Switch, and if you can get past the shoddy appearance, there’s a decent open world game in here.

Heading Out is one of the most inventive games I've played all year, with plenty of replayability, great ideas, and an engaging story.

Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns brings loads of exciting Contra based content to the game we all love, and is so cheap you'd be daft to skip it.

Animal Well is a Metroidvania that stands out in a crowded marketplace thanks to a lack of combat and some seriously creative power ups.

Indika is an ambitious game that's focus on religion is the driving force in its engaging narrative, with simple puzzles and linear gameplay.

It might not always blow you away with originality, but Solo Leveling: ARISE is still a pretty enjoyable and involving adventure on PC.

MotoGP 24 is the strongest the series has been, with AI now being held accountable for mistakes, and other small but important additions.

Endless Ocean Luminous is a lovely adventure that lets you play your way, and rewards you with a relaxing feeling few games offer.

Sand Land is a by-the-numbers anime adaption that is filled with great character design and some enjoyable vehicular combat.

Another Crab’s Treasure is a game full of ideas, and one that deserves to put indie developer Aggro Crab well and truly on the map.

There's a hell of a lot going on in Stellar Blade, but it remains a surprisingly elegant and exciting adventure throughout.

TopSpin 2K25 is light on modes, but the gameplay is excellent, leading to tense and exciting matches against the world's very best.

Remnant 2: The Forgotten Kingdom remains a worthy addition to the main game and a solid, if less exciting, successor to the Awakened King.

Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is an interesting visual novel blend of horror and romance, but it's just a little bit lacking in a few areas.

Kingsgrave has a fun loop of material gathering for upgrades, but the clunky combat and refusal to give any guidance makes it hard to easily recommend.

Despite some pretty visuals and colourful environments, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wrath of the Mutants is rather repetitive.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a well-made, confident adventure with some great voice-acting, and fluid, addictive platforming.

While the combat is clunky and systems aren't explained as well as they should be, Withering Rooms is a great entry into the horror genre.

The Outlast Trials is in better shape now it's out of Early Access, and while AI and fixes have been made, it's still light on content.

Lunar Lander: Beyond is a loving reimagining of the Atari classic, with some seriously cool mechanics and a whole lot of variety.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a truly memorable experience that absolutely will stick with you when it's over.

There are some great moments in Harold of Halibut, even if it takes a while to get going, and the art style is stunning in every way.

Reigns Beyond is a fun sci-fi version of the tinder inspired classic, with a whole lot of charm and plenty of characters and endings to find.

The action is frantic, stylish, and addictive – and if that’s all you want from a roguelike shooter then ArcRunner won’t disappoint.

Turbo Kid is a Metroidvania where you can summon a bike at the push of a button, and that is absolutely as cool as it sounds.

Biomorph is an inventive Metroidvania packed full of monster morphing, secrets, and some seriously helpful map ideas that'll help you find everything.

If you don’t have access to the PC version then House Flipper 2 is definitely worth picking up on console.

If you're looking for a game with tough choices and challenging combat to get lost in, you could do much worse than Broken Roads.

If you're looking for a non-violent stealth game, though, Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a straightforward, mostly uncluttered challenge.

Children of the Sun is a thrilling puzzle game that does a great job of keeping you engaged, and when you're on a roll it's hard to put down.

The Devil Within is, at its core, a very enjoyable, very well-balanced Soulslike Metroidvania that should only improve throughout the early access period. It also features music from Matt Heafy of Trivium, which is a perfect match for the brutal, neo-futuristic, apocalyptic environment design across the three stages here. Whether or not you choose to buy early access games or not is up to you, but The Devil Within: Satgat has plenty of gameplay to get stuck into right now, with a lot more promised over the next 9 to 12 months. [Early Access Review]

Buckshot Roulette is a short game with plenty of appeal, whether through its replayability, strategy, or grisly charm.

C-Smash VRS on Meta Quest is a fantastic way to burn some calories and have fun in the process, featuring a great soundtrack.

Beat Slayer is an enjoyable enough game in short doses, but does nothing to move its genre forward or innovate on established ideas.

Minishoot' Adventures is a fantastic twin stick twist on the classic Zelda formula we all know and love, and it's serious hard to put down.

Saviorless is a dark, frightening, often sorrowful tale that took me a little while to get into and then held on tight for the duration.

There’s simply no question that Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is a must-play game.

Midnight Ghost Hunt is a wonderful and unique multiplayer experience with loads of loadout options and so much polish in 1.0.

One Last Breath doesn't do anything to push the boundaries of the genre, but it has some great puzzles and a beautifully haunting world.

Pepper Grinder is one of the most entertaining 2D platformers I've played in ages, with fantastic motion and seriously creative and varied stages.

Unicorn Overlord combines real time strategy with auto battling to create an incredibly unique game, and it also looks absolutely incredible.

Open Roads offer a window into being a parent and growing up. It's emotional, insightful, and beautifully designed with an engaging story.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox on PS5 is a huge improvement on last year's release, with fluid and responsive combat being its best feature.

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is a refreshing take on the city builder genre, offering a wonderful sense of freedom and exploration.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition offers so much to do, but a lot of work has been put into making it transition nicely to consoles. There's a hefty tutorial and constant help throughout, and with some gorgeous visuals it's well worth trying.

South Park: Snow Day! is a pretty good roguelike with tons of different cards to make each run feel different, complete with that SP humour.

Solium Infernum is one of the most exciting and enjoyable strategy games of recent years, offering a fresh approach to the board game genre.

MLB The Show 24 is a wonderfully curated sports sim that has made some great improvements to the defensive game. The Storylines are great fun, and Road to the Show is another great way to experience the ball game.

Princess Peach: Showtime is a lovely time full of clever ideas, and a great way for Peach to make her solo debut.

Rise of the Ronin is a solid open world action adventure that rarely puts a foot wrong, but is unlikely to set the world on fire either.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is exactly what veterans will be expecting, as double-edged as that may be, but there's simply no other action RPG experience like it.

Alone in the Dark is a faithful take on the original, with some smart puzzles and a charming Southern tone despite some frustrating combat.

The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a serviceable RPG, but when there are so many brilliant alternatives it's hard to recommend.

As with any survival-crafting-farming game in early access, Lightyear Frontier will only grown and evolve – but unlike many of its contemporaries, it already feels like a complete experience. How long it can sustain my interest with so few possibilities of sudden death or unannounced explosions of violent fury when the wildlife is careless enough to wander through my domain remains to be seen, but if you want a relaxing, good-looking, steady little farming sim with a touch of sci-fi and lots of scope to build and grow, Lightyear Frontier’s early access offering is worth checking out. [Early Access Review]

Simple, addictive, soothing and a lot of fun, Powerwash Simulator VR is the ideal fit for the Meta Quest headset. [Meta Quest 2]

There's fun to be had in the shooting and gliding, but Outcast: A New Beginning is simply stretched a little too thin.

Reveil might not be outwardly terrifying, but it looks incredible and has some interesting puzzles with plenty of variety.

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend isn't very long, and while it's not massively exciting, the story is still worth checking out.

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection might not feature any updated visuals, but it features tons of content and enjoyable battles.

Goblin Stone is a wonderful RPG with thoughtful combat, some seriously compelling base building, and a whole lot of little green folks.

The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology is a pleasant enough experience though, and won’t out-stay its welcome.

Contra: Operation Galuga brings back the granddaddy of run and gun with a bang, but don't expect it to be an easy ride.

Bore Blasters is a fun little time-waster, but it's not an experience you'll remember after you've moved on.

Berserk Boy is a fantastic Mega Man inspired action platformer, with loads of awesome abilities and a great flow through the stages.

Akka Arrh is simple enough in its objectives, but there's plenty of enjoyment and skill involved in placing bombs and firing at enemies.

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley completely surprised me, and thanks to its gorgeous world and varied activities is a top notch cozy game.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is as punishing as it is rewarding, but for those willing to stick with it, there's plenty to enjoy.

The Thaumaturge is an atmospheric adventure that oozes character and matches sleuthing and combat in an engaging, enjoyable way.

Warhammer 40K: Chaosgate - Daemonhunters is a prime example of the Warhammer license meeting a genre it's absolutely built for.

WWE 2K24 is the best the series has ever been, with some major and minor additions to every mode, customisation, and the most important factor, it’s gameplay. It feels so good to know WWE 2K games are back to being great, and while the MyRISE stories are a little silly and MyGM can still be frustrating in terms of getting the right balance for high ratings, I was enamoured by everything it has to offer. It looks phenomenal in both the character animations and arenas, and while some of the voice acting feels a little wooden, I loved this year’s entry more than any other that came before.

Penny's Big Breakaway is a fun 3D platformer with great locomotion, but a whole host of bugs and checkpoint issues spoil the good time.

A Void Hope has a great soundtrack and emotional story, but if you're expecting puzzles or platforming then you'll be sorely disappointed.

Sixty Four starts off well and its air of mystery is engaging, but a lack of guidance or support and lengthy time-sinks to progress will put most people off.

Smalland: Survive the Wilds is an impressive survival game with a lot of heart, and a crafting system that is filled with options.

Welcome to ParadiZe has a great sense of humour and super satisfying combat and crafting systems that elevate it above the surface jank.

Classified: France '44 is an authentic and thrilling turn-based strategy where every decision can come undone with the slightest mistake.

Ufouria: The Saga 2 brings back a hidden gem from the past with cutesy platforming, loads of upgrades and seriously gorgeous visuals.

If you approach Wrath: Aeon of Ruin with no expectations beyond a violent way to kill a few hours, then there is fun to be had.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is a top example of bringing back a classic to the present day, with stunning visuals and a great story.

Pacific Drive is a punishing roguelike at times, but the thrill of each run provides plenty of variety and excitement in how you approach it.

Skull and Bones might have been a better game had it released sooner, but at it's fun combat is dampened by its rather dull progression.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is a phenomenal Roguelike for fans of tradition.

Last Epoch is a compelling, addictive, and above all creative ARPG that more than deserves its place in the genre.

The Mobius Machine is a fine Metroidvania with an emphasis on sci-fi shooting, but its map issues and weak upgrades drag it down.

Dicefolk is a wonderful Roguelike monster fighting game, with inventive and engaging combat and shed loads of content to dive into.

Promenade is the 2d version of those classic 3d collectathon platformers we all love, and the sheer variety of the game is incredible.

Foamstars has its moments, but the frantic gameplay, annoying dialogue, and microtransactions do little to keep you playing for long.

Balatro is a masterfully crafted Roguelike card game, that's easy to learn thanks to its poker mechanics but hard to master.

qomp2 is a delightful retro romp that answers all the questions you ever had about the Pong ball, and is packed full of creative mechanics.