In all, The Last Spell is a genuinely enjoyable game that allows for strategic planning and makes use of a dark atmosphere. That being said there are times when the atmosphere feels almost too crushing and difficult - leaving it up to the player to latch onto hope as best they can. The Last Spell is the end of days for this world wreaked by war, and your group of Heroes is all that stands between what remains of humanity and a slow demise as the fog encroaches and the undead approach. The dark atmosphere and challenging gameplay can make for a really satisfying experience however, and it is in the darkest of times that one’s worth as a hero is truly shown.

While Destiny 2: Lightfall presents a visually-interesting cyberpunk art style, it's one that clashes horribly and feels out-of-place compared to the more serious tone established by past DLCs, and is especially odd for what is supposed to be the penultimate expansion in Destiny 2's planned remaining lifespan. While not as overtly disappointing as Curse of Osiris, Lightfall definitely ranks among the lowest entries for Bungie's longstanding live service game. While the new addition of a grapple hook is a neat gimmick, it does very little to make up for said expansion's lackluster contributions in both overall story and gameplay. Unless you are a Destiny 2 diehard looking to keep your DLC collection up-to-date, there isn't much reason to spend an outlandish $50 on only a meager few hours' worth of content.

Blood Bowl 3, at its best, never manages to even equal the quality of its predecessors at their lowest, but it would also be wildly inaccurate to say that there is no hope whatsoever for some at least partial redemption moving forward, as Cyanide Studio desperately attempts to salvage both the game, and their unfortunately-marred reputation. Hopefully the hard lessons learned here will result in a more faithful, and less monetization-crazed, future sequel, whenever they get around to working on such. In the meantime, longtime fans and newcomers alike would do well to keep their distance from this particular bloody field.

This replayability, along with the fact that most of the characters are genuinely likeable, allows Ten Dates to be a fun dating simulator. The actors do a wonderful job of conveying their feelings towards your responses and questions and although there is the relationship breakdown feature, you can often tell purely from the actor's expressions what they think of you. The choices you make certainly matter, and if it all starts to go south with the potential love of your life, you can always start fresh and attempt to woo them again. I would even argue that playing through Ten Dates could give players some potential pointers for real life dating – especially if, like me, you've been out of practice for some time.

If you're someone who likes building a city from the bottom up, being in control of every aspect of the citizens life, then Pharaoh: A New Era will definitely be up your alley, more so if you have an affinity for Ancient Egypt. With more than fifty campaign maps and the sandbox mode, this is a game that will have you playing for days, with each of the missions providing a different challenge. In the end, watching your cities expand to become a flourishing ancient metropolis is enjoyable and rather relaxing, with all your cartoon citizens scampering around the city like tiny worker ants. It can be hard work keeping them and the gods satisfied, but it is well worth it.

Despite being a black sheep of Tango Gamework's library, Hi-Fi Rush is quickly setting itself up to be a standout in popularity as well as genre, having already become a massive hit despite being a complete unknown mere hours before it released. With any luck, the budding success of Hi-Fi Rush encourages more game developers to stretch their wings and experiment. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can really pay off, and in this reviewer's opinion, Hi-Fi Rush epitomizes that.

Scars Above seems to have borrowed traits from several games that all combine well to make Scars Above and enjoyable experience. This mixture of simple puzzle-solving and light combat may not suit everyone, but I certainly enjoyed crafting weapons and gadgets that helped bring down the Custodian.

Although Kukoos: Lost Pets does have some frustrations, namely the camera angles and the irregular checkpoints, is it a fun game to play, especially with friends or family. It has a familiar feel for gamers who grew up with 3D platformers such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon or Super Mario Galaxy, with bright fun colours (for the most part) and cute characters. That nostalgia goes a long way to making Kukoos fun, but the platforming and level design nail it. Each world is distinct from the last and with new pet abilities to play with in each, Kukoos: Lost Pets never becomes stale.

In all, Shadow Warrior 3 is a fun game with a few minor issues that may not even be issues depending on the player. The game is also receiving constant support, with a Definitive Edition next-gen upgraded release that is free to anyone that already owns Shadow Warrior 3 and will be available at a discounted price for anyone interested in the fast-paced combat that Lo Wang specializes in.

Obviously my action platforming game skills have waned over the years, but I admit that I did get a bit frustrated at times by having to restart sequences until I got it right and could move on. Some of the action sequences, especially climbing, doesn't seem to be all that intuitive. Since climbing can take time to complete, maybe having difficulty settings or tips would help to even game play out. Perhaps a training facility where Kathy could go to learn how to be a better climbing astronaut would be helpful? Unfortunately, frustration can take some of the suspense and intrigue away from a great story but luckily, Deliver Us Mars delivers more than just Mars. It delivers a splendid story voiced and acted out by a lot of very talented actors.

Forspoken is not worth either your money, or your time. Even were it offered for free, perhaps as part of a free weekend promotion on Steam, or as one of the rotating weekly free game giveaways on the Epic Games Store, it would still be too high a price to pay, as the time investment costs far outweigh the doubtful pleasure of experiencing what little Forspoken has to offer.

Like its inspirations, Wanted: Dead also gives you the entirety of itself as upfront as possible. It may require a certain amount of nostalgia for its predecessors to truly enjoy, but the package seems poised to stand well enough on its own for the audience and budget it is aiming for.

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.

In all, Hogwarts Legacy is exactly the game that Harry Potter fans have been craving since they first experienced the Wizarding World, with a wonderful presentation and a world full of life and magic that encourages exploration. Learn spells, travel the open world, solve puzzles, and perhaps help decide the destiny of the Wizarding World with your peculiar abilities. For anyone that knows and loves the series, Hogwarts Legacy is a dream come true - and even if you aren't as much of a fan the game has plenty to offer and may even make a fan of you yet!

Despite some of the issues, The Cosmic Shake is a very fun game that satisfies both fans of SpongeBob and of platformers, and is another contender in the list of games that are licensed by other forms of media that are actually genuinely solid in their own right, rather than merely taking advantage of name recognition. For anyone that has previously played Battle for Bikini Bottom or is generally interested in a 3D platformer full of cartoon shenanigans, then SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake might just be worth losing a boating license for.

While its art style is pleasing to the eye, the low resolution appearance of the textures, even when the game is played on the pre-determined "High" visual quality setting, make models and other assets appear blurry and indistinct. The minimalistic nature of the options menu makes it effectively impossible for players to rectify this through further increases and tweaking. The message is clear: Either accept mediocrity, in all areas, or walk away. Given said options, walking away may well be the only viable solution.

Nothing in Power Chord is a revelation. It executes familiar formulas, but it does so extremely well. Even now, considering post-release plans are already being discussed, there's a ton of content to make grinding out a victory worthwhile. You're going to lose, probably a lot, but it wouldn't be fun otherwise. It is enjoyable mastering the systems here. Building a deck that gels perfectly with your playstyle is satisfying. And, of course, sending these demons back to hell with the power of rock (and a little magic) serves as the ultimate reward in this tactical experience.

In all Persona 3 Portable is an excellent chance for gamers to add to their JRPG collection, and despite its flaws it has a compelling story, fantastic music (Techno and J-Rock compared to P4’s J-Pop and P5’s Jazz), and characters that feel fleshed out and real. For $20 USD on Steam and many hours of content, the game is a bargain worthy of Tanaka, a series spanning salesman that has always got a deal for you.

It was the surprises that kept me invested throughout, and I'm certainly not going to spoil them here. What I can say is it left me with a refreshing RPG that may not revolutionize the genre, but I think starts the year off right for either or both RPG and One Piece fans.

In all, Reunion is a fun way to revisit the universe of Final Fantasy VII and let players experience some of the events that would eventually lead to the main story that gamers have known and loved for over 20 years. Reunion is a fantastic remastering that lets a new generation of players witness more of the stories within Midgar and allows for even more build up throughout the series as the next release looms ever closer. For anyone even somewhat interested in this world, whether they're first time grunts entering Midgar for the first time, or SOLDIER 1st Class who have played either the original or other games in the series of FFVII, this game provides a good way to experience a world of science and magic merging, and starts a tragic tale that has lived in gamer's hearts ever since the initial release in 1997.

Warhammer 40k Darktide is an excellent sci-fi co-op FPS experience that will likely be enjoyed for years to come. While not quite reaching the same quality level of their initial Warhammer 40k End Times: Vermintide title back in 2015, Darktide is something that both diehard Warhammer fans, and co-op FPS fans in general, can mutually appreciate.

In all, Choo-Choo Charles is an impressively made game for only having one person working on it - and what flaws it has don't get in the way of an overall solid experience. The game leans on its ridiculousness but also manages to keep an entertaining amount of tension due to the seemingly constant presence of the spider-train, heralded only by his horn. There isn't always a lot to see away from the train tracks or specific quests noted on the map, but that isn't a necessity in a game like Choo-Choo Charles - and despite its relatively short length this is one train this reviewer would recommend picking up a ticket.

In all, Shadows Over Loathing is a treat to play and is incredibly witty - the simple designs and graphics add to the game's charm rather than do damage to it, and with the exception of audio mixing the game is very well built. For anyone that likes rather wacky RPGs- the Roaring 20s and its hoards of jazz, hobos, and fishermen are waiting in Shadows Over Loathing.

I have seen this game described as an "Open World", which is categorically untrue. While the level design has a degree of openness to them, giving the player multiple routes to reach their objective they are still decidedly structured. There is no seeing a mountain off in the distance and walking until you reach its summit. This is not a complaint, as I tend to prefer a smaller, crafted level with multiple pathways to a sprawling sandbox with little structure or logic. It helps that the game gives you some interesting travel mechanics to get around as well. After the first boss, you get a mechanical device that follows you around and allows you to fly for short periods of time, which is probably the single most enjoyable part of the whole game. I never got tired of zipping up cliff faces or floating onto the weird hovering islands that inexplicably dot the landscape. The game encourages this by sprinkling upgrade tokens and items but if I'm being honest I probably would have done it without them.

The team at Gearbox have done a wonderful job of recreating the adventure game style that Telltale has perfected. The introduction of the mini-games does provide for change of pace, but they do detract from the flow of the story. However, the trademark Borderlands art style and humour together with the wonderfully diverse set of characters and well told narrative makes New Tales from the Borderlands a must for fans of Borderlands and adventure games.

Outside of its aforementioned snarky references and the silly physics system, there isn't a lot holding up this sequel. Everything seen here just makes the player want to go back to the original game instead.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is an interesting mix of exactly what players expected and some surprising curveballs. Combat is just as tight and tactical as fans of the XCOM series have come to expect from the developer, and the wonderful cast of Marvel heroes are all fantastically fun to play. The game would have benefitted from pulling back a bit on time spent in The Abbey, but, even then, there’s still value for people interested in the Marvel Universe. Midnight Suns is clearly a passion project from Firaxis Games, and that heart comes through in the little things. It's an easy game to recommend, and it stands among few others as a great example of what Marvel games should be moving forward.

It is commendable the rate at which the developers have been able to craft these individual stories. Considering the widely branching narratives (that seems no less complex here) there's always been a feeling that The Dark Pictures was handled by the B team, while the A team developed the standalone titles. The Devil in Me has the feeling of a C team development (or D team, if the VR titles have their own?). There's enough mistakes to make the whole thing feel like a freshman effort mistakenly placed at the end of a quadrilogy. The story and the setting deserved better than to be absolutely trounced by the poor quality parts, but given how quickly the developers iterate and respond to feedback there's plenty of hope moving forward. As the bookend to their first season of this experiment, though, they left plenty to be desired.