Suffice to say, if you love the series you’ve already picked this up anyway, and if you’re on the fence or have spent considerable time away from the franchise, as I had, then rest assured that not only is the entry barrier fairly forgiving for newcomers but the game also offers up enough challenge for veterans and, above all, is immensely fun, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t really get FPS games.

I really enjoyed playing Critical Mass and I'll be playing this for quite some time.

od of War III Remastered is thoroughly entertaining on the PlayStation 4 even though we've seen it all before.

A great puzzling platform game that works perfectly either handheld or on the big screen with a bevy of levels that represent great value.

Tiny Bookshop captures the essence of a quaint seaside town and the comfort of running a shop that feels like home.

Prince of Persia has flashes of greatness. Its production values are absolutely stunning – but the game designers need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Sure, there is some grinding involved but once you get your characters to certain levels, things start falling into place, especially with all the items and bonuses the game throws at you, not to mention the customisation options! If you love Japanese RPG games, you really need to check out Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is precisely the kind of game Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty wants: A smaller game (you can finish it in a weekend easily) that is bound to see the company win more prestige and awards. Like Hi-Fi Rush before it, Senua’s Saga is the kind of incredible narrative-focused single-player exclusive that is bound to be on plenty of award short-lists at the end of the year. It’s a well-written adventure with flawless production values that I’m sure endless thought pieces will be written about (I’ve already thought of a couple) because it actually has something to say.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits should take most gamers around 10 to 12 hours to complete, depending on the amount of exploring and the level of difficulty. While the blockbusters games of 2021 continue to deliver the same ho-hum experience of 2021, Kena is a much needed ray of sunshine to the current choices of titles available and more importantly, looks fantastic on the PlayStation 5.

If you own the previous game in the series, I would find it difficult to recommend this title, unless your a crazed fanboy of the Capcom fighting games and then it's a totally different story. However if you never played the previous game or missed the first two and you love fighters, than Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is definitely a game that you should investigate as not only does it pay homage to the classic "2D fighters" but the gameplay is quite flawless on the PS3.

Gears Tactics is a fantastic strategy game and an excellent addition to the Gears of War series, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is either a fan of Gears of War, or to the XCOM series style of game. Also, Cole Train, as always, is a goddamn delight.

Despite some minor gripes, Three Hopes is still a great Fire Emblem game with plenty of value for fans of the series. I really look forward to future updates and DLC to this game and to explore a lot of what New Game Plus and higher difficulties offer.

Buzz! Quiz World is a very fun game, provided you have other people with you as it makes for a great party game experience.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 on Xbox One has evolved into a truly enjoyable third person shooter set in this silly universe.

Madden NFL 25 tweaks the hell out of the franchise and brings a few new things to the table to make any football gaming fan happy.

Great entry point to a rich RTS...if you can master it.

But… if you are looking for a reasonably easy going, not overly violent (hey there are chickens that fire rockets at you… it’s not totally peaceful), life/building sim, then My Time At Sandrock is a decent option… you can certainly sink a number of hours into it if you get into it.

So should you part with $50 for this little addition? Frankly, no. Wait for discounting, because it's currently much too overpriced for what's on offer. Neither the religion or espionage change the game that much, and Civ 5 is still suffering from the same malaise it did before Gods & Kings hit.

The tension and atmosphere were really good, the gameplay and acting were relatively sub par. The story shone in these games, directing you ahead with a seemingly single minded goal. Then suddenly you realise there was more to the game and the subtle choices you make along the way can change the ending. After playing these games I really want to read the books as the story is really what kept me playing. If anything, my curiosity is satisfied and I honestly recommend checking it out of the story interests you. And with an enticing price of $69.95, the value isn’t too bad considering remasters these days are being sold at full price. Yet here is two games for less than the price of one. If you’re looking at metro as an action game, I’d recommend against it.

With streamlined social elements, Fire Emblem Engage is a back to basics sequel that does everything it can to get you back to fighting in epic battles as fast as it can.

If you have some younger gamers who want a bit of a puzzle game with a magical touch then this could be a good choice, especially if you don’t mind playing the game with them.

The appeal of this game is hard to narrow down; for the young or non-gamer, it is a very straightforward and extremely easy to play game, in fact you have one button to press and one joystick to move the cursor around for selection. The game can perhaps offer some challenges as it progresses. For experienced detective style gamers, intellectuals and those who want fast paced action, this is not the game for you. With that being said, this game is very different to many games out there and that can be a very welcomed change indeed.

A fun title for puzzle fans or for those who just want a chance to walk around in a somewhat surreal environment and twist their perspective.

A beautiful, deep and fun experience that will take hours from your life… but you won’t regret it.

If you are an avid Pokémon fan, what you get with Black & White Version 2 is a true Pokémon experience.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena is a well made action title.

We’ve truly been spoiled this year for JRPGs. In the last few months alone we’ve had the award-winning Metaphor and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Fantasian Neo Dimension casting off its Apple Arcade shackles and coming to consoles is a brilliant capstone to a strong year for RPGs, and the Asian game industry in general.

Compared to the previous chapters, I found this current instalment a little on the easier side but thankfully the narrative held me quite captivated from start to finish and I’m really eager to see how this modern incarnation of King’s Quest plays out.