System Shock is an iconic game with much influence that still resonates. But the game did not age well with how its combat works. With the remake, we can see how, beneath that clunky oldness of the original, there is a great game which has ideas and themes which still resonate strongly. The freedom System Shock offers its players the to discover and play it along with its stellar exploration, voice acting and storytelling is worth the time.

The easiest way of summarising how well Beacon Pines works is by saying that it is abundantly clear in every frame that the developers cared. The story is sad, and funny, and intriguing, and the art style is unforgettable. The gameplay, while simple, introduces such a unique concept to facilitate its story that it doesn’t matter the entire thing can be played with a grand total of five buttons. This game is dripping with heart, and if you’ve any interest in mystery stories, I cannot recommend it more highly.

Like with the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 feels like an impossible video game. Everything it does flies in the face of modern gaming and it fulfils almost all of its goals with a tactician's precision and clarity. From its stellar story with hundreds, if not thousands, of meaningful choices and consequences which make every single playthrough special, to the deep and compelling combat which you can spend an age learning, to its impeccable world and sound design, Baldur's Gate 3 is truly something special. While it isn't perfect and stumbles here or there, especially in terms of bugs and technical performance, it would be a crying shame for anyone to miss out on a masterpiece like this. Baldur's Gate 3 is my personal game of the year and I beg everyone who is even remotely interested to try it out.

While the story is best left unexplained and experienced first-hand, Amanda the Adventurer utilises a clever blend of real-life found footage and basic animation to create an uncomfortable atmosphere. Pairing this with the twisting of children's TV tropes and the positive way they are presented, I was genuinely left unnerved and awkwardly laughing in places. Amanda the Adventurer's broken-up storytelling leaves blanks to be filled, which encourages you to play through again to try things differently and find new information. Most importantly to note is that this is not a children's game.

The Ramp achieves exactly what it promises: a simple experience that scratches your skateboarding itch. The ease of use and minimal effort required to drop in and execute some skate tricks is a testament to effective game design: if your core mechanic is perfect, you don't need fluff. Hyperparadise has crafted a masterpiece that improves your day in 15-minute increments, allowing players to turn off their brains and shred.

Resident Evil 4 Remake is a masterclass in modernizing a tried and true classic game. Though not without faults, they are so few as to be insignificant to the overall experience. Every aspect of the game has been rebuilt in order to make the time spent as Leon Kennedy an utter joy. With a riveting story, rewarding gameplay, and gorgeous design, it is a masterpiece in every sense.

It was a blast to take a trip down to memory lane of playing this beloved '90s relic. Quake II has certainly stood the test of time and is easily one of the best from the retro first-person shooter scene. The amount of value that the remaster version has given the players is simply unmatched and Call of the Machine is also a nice addition to the diehard Quake II fanatics. Quake II Remaster is easily a must have game for the lovers of retro first-person shooters, and can get you into the game if you didn't play it during its heyday.

Like any good superhero, Dispatch has a secret identity. On the surface, it’s a goofy, Office-style visual novel stuffed with fart jokes and the occasional bit of casual nudity. But that’s just the costume. Step closer, actually engage with the narrative, and it transforms into something much more sincere. It’s a story about the weight of our pasts, and what it means to finally move forward from them. It’s about choosing who you want to become instead of quietly accepting the role Fate hands you. I’m not even a little embarrassed to admit this game made me cry—yes, the same game where a drug-addicted bat monster gets handcuffed to a weight rack because he thought the angelic assassin was going to show him her boobs. Beneath the absurdity and the superpowers, it’s the real people who break through: the flawed, messy, painfully human characters who reach out and connect with you. That’s where Dispatch truly shines.

Blind Drive is a masterpiece. I haven't come across many games which can take your breath away in the first few minutes as this one did. I had a single session of almost 2 hours playing this bad boy before I even realised how much time had passed. Blind is very addicting and it's almost impossible to find any flaws with it. I played it on the Easy mode and I'm definitely going all the way to Blindfold mode to claim moral victory over the game. I highly recommend you to go show some love to Blind Drive and the devs behind this beauty.

Silent Hill 2 is everything we hoped for so many years. It takes the beautifully imperfect aspects of the original game and adapts them wonderfully in a new, amazing, and also beautifully imperfect remake. Living James' horrifying journey with modernized graphics and gameplay made me feel like a kid again. And even if I once thought otherwise, I'm now certain that no other developer studio could have done it better. Thank you, Bloober Team.

The first part of a duology that promises to be unforgettable, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage - Tape 1 lays the foundations for an even more intriguing sequel, Tape 2. By the end of this first part, you'll be left with just one question: what really happened that summer? What really happened that summer in 1995? And above all, what happens next?

An unforgettable lesson on coping with the immutable march of death that'll shake even the rugged individuals out there. Packing few but extraordinarily fleshed out characters, levels, story beats, and gameplay elements, Death's Door shows restraint and temperance, standing as an indisputable triumph of the top-down dungeon crawler formula. It's bursting at the seams with good writing, humour, and an eagerness to use every last bit of its 10 to 13 hours of playtime in good faith. That's the crowning achievement of Death's Door: nothing feels left out or bloated. Acid Nerve managed to deliver a perfectly balanced cup of existential dread and philosophical remedy on all accounts.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom improves on what many considered a masterpiece in Breath of the Wild. From expanding the locations you can explore, to the new abilities that give the player infinite control with their imagination, Tears of the Kingdom has it all. A few frame rate drops and inventory management can, at times, take away from the experience, but very rarely. Overall, Tears of the Kingdom is a must play for any fan of video games, and is an achievement that many games will strive to top for years to come.

If you like PowerWash Simulator, you’re going to love this DLC and if you love Alice in Wonderland, you’re going to love this DLC. If you find that you are empty on content right now, this DLC would not be a bad purchase for the price since it includes five full-fledged maps for you to complete. PowerWash Simulator is no stranger to giving out extra content both free and paid for if you’d like to continue to support FuturLab. If you’d like to explore more reviews on the other DLCs we have covered, visit our Warhammer DLC Review and Back to the Future DLC Review.

The original Super Mario Bros. is a game that has been there for me since childhood. It's always been a nostalgic security blanket, the video game equivalent of comfort food. It's nice and familiar, but not especially challenging or exciting. Super Mario Bros. 35 took this classic and truly gave it new life. I feel excited, tense and downright giddy about this game for the first time since I was a child.

The graphics and lighting make this one of the best looking games I have ever seen, especially on the current-generation of consoles.

Stray is a true ode to both adventure games and cats. The game is expertly crafted with satisfying gameplay, a brilliant art style, and an even better story. A strong contender for indie game of the year, Stray will dig it’s claws into you from the very beginning and it wont let go.

Baldur's Gate 3 is one of those unicorn games you encounter very rarely. It's well made, rich in content, and welcoming to gamers of all levels. Even if you've never heard of Baldur's Gate or dabbled in Dungeons and Dragons, there's at least one part of the game that will intrigue you. The narrative is expertly structured, combat is innovative and promotes ingenuity, and you can seamlessly enjoy your adventure alone or with friends. A game with this much freedom and content is going to entertain you for hours (literally I've played 50 hours of this game and I'm just scratching the surface). As I said before this game earned its Game of the Year award and Larian Studios should give themselves a big round of applause.

While the price point might detract some gamers, The Last of Us Part 1 needs to be checked out. If you already played the original game a bunch of times, there's still a lot of value present. Players that haven't experienced one of the best games of all time should buy the definitive way to play this masterpiece.

Enhanced with fantastic and fresh content, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a game that dances through the vulgar and the sublime in an experience that excels in delivering superb storytelling with compelling gameplay mechanics; it’s a hallmark of the genre that deserves every ounce of credit attributed to it.

Wednesdays doesn't try to wow you with flashy gameplay or plot twists. It's a quiet, honest and emotional experience of facing the past and learning to heal. It's the kind of game you play when you want something more personal - something that says something and makes you feel something. If you like narrative games, or crave a story that goes beyond surface drama, Wednesdays is definitely worth playing. It won't appeal to everyone - especially if you need fast-paced action or super-complex gameplay - but if you're open to something slower and more meaningful, it's a little gem that deserves your attention. You won't soon forget it.

ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON delivers an astonishing experience of mech battles, combining freedom of choice with incredibly smart enemy AI, making every battle feel different and challenging. The story within the game is also intriguing, and the weight behind it is very real and memorable. Moreover, the superb graphics and sound design make the experience of playing the game more surreal, setting us on a journey that will remain in our hearts for years to come.

Rogue Legacy 2 is a captivating, addicting, and truly unforgettable experience. It doesn't just improve on the first game, it renders it wholly obsolete. It's a truly amazing roguelike, one of the best in the industry. The art is beautiful and the combat is buttery smooth. Everyone should play this game. Especially if you love pizza. And who doesn't love pizza?

Minds Beneath Us sets a new bar for the world of choice-driven narratives. Whether it is the story, the art, or even the gameplay, Bearbone Studio excels in their creation of a game that is both compelling and fun; Seperating itself from its competition. It's unique yet familiar and while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I implore those who are searching for a taste of a good story or even for a player who wishes to experience a more cinematic style of gameplay to try this game out. Minds Beneath Us may be an eye opener to both narrative fans and gamers alike.

Final Fantasy XVI is the definitive real-time combat experience of the series. It expands the horizons of the franchise and mixes the concepts of RPG and Hack & Slash into one masterpiece. Being by far the most epic installment of the franchise yet, it delivers an astonishing soundtrack, a dark-themed story with deep characters and relationships, and an unmatched feeling in combat that even the most experienced will be in awe with.

Ori and the Blind Forest was already a fantastic game, but the Definitive Edition smooths out the edges and adds in extra content that slots in comfortably and adds to both the story and the gameplay. It looks brilliant, it sounds amazing, and it plays smoothly and satisfyingly. Be sure to pick this up if you’re a fan of the Metroidvania genre and fancy a challenge in an incredibly appealing package.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong pulls you in like a beautiful black hole, immersing you into a galaxy that will feel familiar to you only after a few hours into your playthrough. The narrative builds steadily on its incredible lore and endearingly imperfect cast of characters, leading up to a worthy emotional payoff. OPUS: Echo of Starsong makes the most of every moment of the player's time, rounding out into an breathtaking intergalactic experience that adventure game and visual novel lovers shouldn't miss.

Splatoon 3 remixes and refines what makes Splatoon so fun and wraps it all in a style infused lavish of color and creativity. Many shooters these days lack the spirit that is shown so well. Even comparing to Splatoon 2 this entry blows it out of the water with how much more it has going for it, from entertaining to fresh there's no shortage here! No matter how much content is not new, what the game does to mix things up really makes the game feel unique. With plenty of Splatfests and updates to come I am excited for even more content for this already Inkredible game. Splatoon 3 manages to continue to show that Splatoon is one of Nintendo's best new IPs, and it's shining rainbow of colors will only get brighter and better going forward!