Arkham Origins is a very good but very familiar game. It lacks the spice of originality that made the previous two games great.

Reigns: The Witcher is a perfect marriage of IP and indie mechanics. By evolving the objective system into the deeper Inspirations mechanic, Nerial has ensured that every "Game Over" feels like a step forward rather than a step back.

Sins of the Fathers is an excellent point-and-click adventure offering a strong and engaging story.

It’s a rich experience with an abundance of soul and a unique vision; there’s no need to wait ten years for that glitzy triple-A game to ape its conventions and follow its narrative ambition.

TopSpin 2K25 comes in a polished package. Both single-player and online matches feel good (though a ping differential can cause havoc), and feel lovingly crafted. A few presentational flourishes heighten the experience, but most importantly it's a game that rewards your efforts to improve at playing it. While it would have been nice to see a simulation-type focus on the life of a professional tennis player to flesh out the experience, the truth is, it doesn't need it to feel like a great package. It caters to those who want to continually improve and take on the world after conquering the tournament circuit, and also to those that just want a solid tennis game to play against AI or friends.

The Thaumaturge is a very strange title, both intentionally and sometimes unintentionally as well. On the surface level, it's a dark, narrative-driven game filled with morally-ambiguous choices which will oftentimes influence specific events in the story.

Alone With You is a truly unique animal, the strength of its writing and characters is a testament to the artistic merit within the growing ‘interactive novel’ scene. Instead of simply using science fiction as a backdrop for laser guns, space battles and alien babes, Alone With You engages its audience as adults. It examines what it is to be human through the genres of science fiction and romance, genres often man-handled or abused by the medium. It kept me guessing, with it avoiding the clichéd plot twists and contrivances that I expected.

That relatively minor negative aside, Unknown Number was a lot of fun and is easy to recommend for those looking to play a short, novel game that brings its ideas together well. Actual decision points are relatively limited, so replay value isn't particularly high, but the experience is fun enough the first time through that that isn't a big drawback. I appreciated how Unknown Number became a bit more personal and expanded some of its concepts towards the end, and I'll definitely be in line to check out a sequel, spiritual or otherwise, if godolphin games ever makes one.

Neversong is an absolute gem. It's apparent that a lot of love and time went into making this game brilliant. The story, gameplay, characters, and soundtrack all come together masterfully to create a dark, unsettling, yet whimsically fun experience. For a game roughly 3-4 hours long, the journey through this atmospheric world was nothing short of impressive. I would strongly recommend this title to everyone.

Even though Kingdom can be very frustrating at times - especially in the beginning when you have no clue what to do or what to expect - it’s also one of those “sucks, I died AGAIN. Let’s just try ONE more time!” games.

Blackguards 2 is an immensely satisfying turn based strategy game that brings an enticing story and high-quality balanced combat to the table.

Insurgency is a breath of fresh air and I can easily see myself playing it every chance I get.

Dawn of War Definitive Edition is a faithful transfer of the original game, warts and all. More of a simple modernization effort to get the game to run on more recent systems than anything else. That said, the game has a few glaring issues that really should have been resolved before this rework hit the shelves.

The action is engaging and challenging, largely due to massive mobs and a versatile list of enemy types. If you can live with its admittedly minor flaws, this run-and-gun game is worth your time and money.

As golf games go, PGA Tour 2K21 matches any other that I have played recently. And although Wii Sports Golf will still get a run with the younger members of my family, the ease of which rookies can get into PGA Tour 2K21 makes it a game for everyone. Whether you want to play on Beginner and have all the visual aids, or you want to play on Legend where you’ll have to do everything for yourself, PGA Tour 2K21 provides you with that option. With some lovely courses, simple controls, a range of game styles and a slick TV broadcast style presentation, PGA Tour 2K21 will enable golfers the chance to keep hitting the links, even when they’re stuck at home in lockdown or due to bad weather.

It's clear there is a lot of love and passion put into it. The good, for the most part, outweighs the bad as it is quite charming and fun when you're not fighting against the wonky camera or frustrating glitches. I would recommend Penny's Big Breakaway only to fans who love the genre. If Evening Star can take what they've learned here and iron out the kinks, then I think they could make something truly spectacular.

Although I loved the absurdism and the art, it did lose its charm after a while because EVERYTHING was absurd, and so I found my absurdist baseline shifted while playing.

The Raven: Legacy of the Master Thief is an easy experience to recommend. The mystery is well-written and expertly delivered. At times, it feels as if gameplay is a support to narrative instead of the other way around, but it remains cleverly crafted and fun.

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a game that is difficult to recommend for those who prefer their games to unfold at a pace faster than plodding. While much of the game excels in drawing you in, the deliberately slow pace works against it more often than not. But for those who are looking for a truly interesting adventure game that, for better or worse, takes its time to share its stories, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine makes for a captivating experience.

As far as detective games go, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is one of the best modern offerings on the market. The game's handful of obvious flaws are outweighed tenfold by the many other areas where it goes above and beyond. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is not just one of the best detective games of this year. It's a game other similar investigation games should compare themselves against in years to come.

As you’d hope it would in a fast-paced game like this, combat is fluid and fun. As you play you’ll unlock access to new characters that come with unique perks, new upgrades, and new weapons that will become available for selection/purchase in subsequent playthroughs. You’ll also be able to pick up equipment and resources that drop from enemies and bosses, but you can only take two weapons with you at a time.

Expeditions: Viking spins an absolutely wonderful tale of exploration and conquest. The setting, the story, the ambiance –my imagination ran wild in ways you’d expect to experience reading a good fantasy novel. Betrayal angered me, new friendships elated me, and changing the balance of power in Britain made me feel equal parts devious and mischievous. Reconstructing my home, making it safe, strong and prosperous made me feel proud of my achievements. Every battle, every camp site and map scrubbed clean of its hidden treasures felt like it played a part in the grand scheme of things. There aren’t a lot of games that can pull something like this off even adequately. Expeditions: Vikings does it masterfully.

If they had put another year of development toward it, maybe then we would've seen what we were hoping it would be.

This is a game that is crying out for either a more sparsely populated map with more deliberate encounters al la Breath of the Wild, or a more fast-paced hack-and-slash combat system.

In all, Mail Time is a fun, if short, experience that can remind people what it is they love about 3D platforming without requiring a lot of investment to learn controls or plot related subjects. The only real issue from my perspective being the lack of a map. That being said that lack isn't too much of a problem compared to the tranquil and enjoyable atmosphere of this easy-going game, making Mail Time a charming delight of a game that has left this reviewer wanting quite a bit more.

Crookz: The Big Heist is a game with a lot of options, but not enough of a sandbox to use them all in. A bit of the unknown would be nice to liven up the action a bit.

There’s truly a decent game here with its foundational systems that could be developed into a more well-rounded title. But as it stands this is a £45 game, it is neither fair nor warranted that this game is just okay. Codemaster’s had already promised ahead of its release that Grid (2019) would be receiving a bevy of further racetracks, cars and modes for its player base. Yet with a dwindling interest, this seems too little too late.

So should you buy Street Fighter V? It depends how invested you are in the series; if you’re a rabid fan, by all means get this now and master the characters while waiting for the updates. If not, or if you’re a casual player, wait until after March for the additional features to be implemented.