Overcooked is a real treat of a game, which also lends itself to extra DLC further down the line, as there are plenty of unexplored environments and recipes to master. It’s incredibly simple to learn, as there are only two or three buttons you need to press, but it’s going to take a lot of coordination to make it to the end. If you have got a few friends and a weekend to kill, Overcooked is one of the best experiences you will have this year.

Outward is a tough game to review because I know there are a ton of people that are going to pick this thing up and absolutely detest it, and, as I said, sometimes I felt that way myself. For the right kind of person, though, this game is going to scratch an itch that not many others can. Because of its relatively niche appeal, I don’t see Outward breaking any sales records, but it does seem like a game destined to be revered in the right circles for quite some time.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden delivers satisfactorily with all its gameplay mechanics and narrative elements. Whether you are a gameplay-first, or story-first, type of player, there will likely be more than enough on both fronts to keep you interested all the way to the very end. While it still has a few technical hiccups and oddly implemented game mechanics, it still manages to rise well above what we have normally come to expect from most modern AAA and AA games. If you have $50 to spare, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is well worth a go anytime.

On the whole, Jackbox Party Pack 3 has a stronger collection of games than each of its predecessors, making it the best one to buy if you’ve never tried them before. It’s just a shame that you can’t buy the majority of games from previous packs separately as add-ons.

Revengeance isn’t a perfect game but it sure is a fun one, and it made the jump to PC with ease.

If you played the original Wings! all those years ago, then you'll definitely enjoy the Wings! Remastered Edition. If you're a newcomer, there should be nothing stopping you from picking up a copy. Wings! Remastered Edition does everything right.

Alone in the Dark is surprising. It doesn't have the budget to fight the big boys, but through sheer care it manages to punch above its weight. Its biggest detractors reside in its combat, and its biggest strength are just about everywhere else. It's clear to me that the entire production understood the assignment. Even with its missteps the combat design has valuable ideas. The audio and visual designs are a delight. The acting is probably its greatest strength. The writing, led by Soma's Mikael Hedberg, brought lessons learned from both his previous involvements and the legacy of the series to make a more refined story. He also showed, through a nuanced understanding, that Lovecraft's world extends so far beyond tentacles and old-Gods named Cthulhu. It's far from perfect, but it exists, at the bare minimum, as a great starting point for a revitalization of a series that has fallen from influential to forgotten.

Oriental Empires is a confusing game. There’s a lot to enjoy about it: the interface, the campaign map and the general style of the game are very appealing and perfectly on point with its theme. As a historical game, it’s great, but as a strategy game, it’s not sure entirely what it is. To put it plainly, the battle system isn’t good, and that would be fine if it felt like it wasn’t a necessary component of the game. There isn’t enough settlement management to cut battles out completely and go for victory via an alternate route. Without the Civilisation-esque buildable tile improvements and without the trade, there isn’t actually much to do other than to settle, accrue income, queue buildings and diplomatize. I’m sure like most 4Xes, time and technology bring greater depth, but I can’t see them improving the battle system. So if you’re a Civilization player and combat feels secondary to you, then I would recommend maybe looking this up, as it is a beautiful game and feels historically accurate. If you’re a Total War player, however, and battles are a must to you (like me) I would say stay away, or at least wait for a rainy day and a Steam sale.

Fortunately, Dead Space does provide the player with one way to ratchet up the intensity. If combat doesn't scare you, then you can always turn on the Impossible difficulty setting where if you die once then it's game over (the remake has helpfully added the option to continue playing at reduced difficulty, the original would just delete your save entirely). I would highly recommend checking out the Impossible difficulty, even if you're not the sort that generally goes in for challenge runs, if only because it gives the game a sense of urgency and tension that it otherwise lacks.

Moving Out 2 doesn't take anything too seriously, and that is part of the reason why the game is so fun to play. It is a game that allows players to determine the solution to each location in a variety of ways. It is fun to play on your own, but Moving Out 2 is definitely more fun with a group of friends or family, as you attempt to reach each of the star ratings and secondary goals. With simple controls, enjoyable gameplay, a dash of humour, and bright cartoon style visuals, Moving Out 2 is a great follow up to the original.

Tannenberg takes what made Verdun fun, and improves upon what made it awesome. The new environments in particular really make the potential of a WWI FPS/Simulator really stand out and stick with memorable moments that last long after a match is over. The developers proved themselves with their support of Verdun over time, which gives me reason to believe that Tannenberg is only going to get better from here.

Despite these minor criticisms, the game is brilliant. Having played it both with friends and alone, it is obvious that this game is -supposed- to be played with friends. When playing alone, it feels a bit repetitive, but when you add two friends screaming commands in your ear and a third one laughing manically as he plots your demise, this game is pure candy. If you enjoy playing this kind of game with friends, you will love Dungeonland. If you are a friendless loner, however, you might want to give it a miss.

I want to be clear that I really enjoyed This Is the Police; the story is very well done, your choices feel as if they have real weight in the game, and the dispatch sections are a great twist on traditional strategy puzzle games. However, This Is the Police’s major problem is its casual use of racism in the story and dialogue.

Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth is a fairly unique experience. While some may take issue with the slow pace and dour subject matter, it’s already a journey filled with beautiful moments when the visuals, music, and narration come together to create some truly affecting moments. With no knowledge of the source material it’s too early to tell if the story will end up with worthwhile payoff in the two installments to come, but to me the first is engaging enough to warrant the time and attention of anyone looking for a tonal change of pace.

Many players may not be able to wash out the taste of launch, and may not even poke their heads back into the blinding neon or gruesome yet cool cyberware to see how much has changed, but speaking as someone who entered Night City for the first time post launch, the Phantom Liberty DLC adds a lot to a game that has improved drastically since its release, to the point of nearly being unrecognizable to those who played at launch alone.

Despite the shortcomings of the story modes, overall Soul Calibur is exactly what you want out of a fighting game. Solid mechanics, fluid motion, a unique and varied cast of characters, and even a decent character creator thrown on top of everything. If you're into fighting games solely for single player, you may find yourself wanting more out of what you get here. But, if you're in it for online fighting you'd be hard pressed to find a more rewarding experience than trying to best each opponent that comes your way and a more humbling one when you are defeated.

Regalia is a game of surprises, giving me much more than I expected from a small, first time publisher. There’s certainly a bit of room for improvement, but most of that melts away to a game that’s funny, challenging, and full of backstory and lore. A very diverse cast of characters and dialogue that’s delivered with the timing and heart it deserves elevate this stereotypical-on-paper experience from another dime-a-dozen indie fantasy game to something well worth exploring.

Whether you’re new to Hard Reset or have played the previous versions, there’s plenty to be enjoyed in Redux.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong an intriguing experience that itches a certain scratch, but it's probably not for everyone. Those looking for something faster-paced are likely to feel that the exploration and dialogue are a bit slow for their liking, but players down for a just-hammy-enough supernatural soap opera that mirrors the tabletop game well will find a lot to love.

Problems such as fairly samey missions: getting a base, building a base, building a mega army, to then overwhelm their base, and there are a fair few missions like that in this game. But, all in all, Ancestors adds enough of a twist to that classic formula to keep most RTS fans on their toes, while giving them a decent level of enjoyment.

Tales of Arise is a solid entry into the series, yet I would be wary about recommending it to new players. Sure, you get some nice gameplay refinements and flashy graphics (indeed, it’s probably the best-looking game in the series hands down) but it hardly seems worth the $60 price tag, at least not when previous entries regularly go on sale $8 - $15. As I mentioned above, not that much has changed with the Tales series over the years, so there’s no reason to start with the newest and most expensive entry. However, if you’ve played and enjoyed previous entries in past, Tales of Arise becomes an easy recommendation as it showcases much of what makes the franchise so charming.

With fun characters and an incredibly fun gameplay loop with a good amount of variety and unlockables sprinkled in, I can see Clawpunk being a fun time for lovers of both classic and contemporary titles.

In all SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is a welcome return for those entering Bikini Bottom again, and an enjoyable journey for those visiting for the first time. Although there is a touch of nostalgia in revisiting the game for me, the additions that Rehydrated brings makes it a delightful game with plenty of heart and fun.

If you have played through the original, this edition adds nothing new apart from the new glossy coating. But if you have not, then the Definitive Edition would be a worthy addition to your collection. There is an R18+ age rating (due to the Playboy Magazine collectibles I believe, and not the violence), which means that it will be inappropriate for many. But Vito’s story as well as the gameplay is as enjoyable and captivating as the original. Driving across town can occasionally be a tad monotonous, but the simple shootouts and fistfight controls make sure that the main story flows smoothly for the entire game. And the music and visuals capture the setting beautifully allowing gamers to be fully immersed into The Family.

What struck me most was the potential. Omerta is a good game but if it succeeds, it has the potential to be a great game. Add opposing AI gangs and allow for turf wars to occur, shrink the building sizes on the strategic maps and give players control over many more buildings, and you have a strategy title that has no equal and is infinitely playable.

While a fighting game isn’t exactly what one might expect for a sequel of a game like Persona 4 Golden, this reviewer finds it to be a fun fighting game with a compelling story that expands the world of Persona by introducing the Investigation Team to another team that once saved the world from a mysterious threat with the power of Personas.

Dark Souls III is still often a frustrating game to play, especially after dying and repeating a section a number of times. But it is when you overcome those difficult scenarios – especially those that involve one of the many boss battles – that Dark Souls III shines through.

Ultimately Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is an excellent throwback to platforming glory years. Despite a few bugs and sound issues present during the earlier sections, the game is simple and stylish, a joy to play. If you are on PC, you owe it to yourself to pick it up — this is the closest you will get to a Nintendo platformer on the system. The level of love Playtonic have squeezed into this game makes Yooka-Laylee stand firmly on its own two feet.