With a splash of gacha summoning, War Of Evolution descends into a, by now wearyingly familiar, microtransaction-based mobile template, completely wasting its early promise.

With no microtransactions or payment of any kind – and a likeable Terry Gilliam-esque anarchy to its animation – this is a lovely way of introducing yourself to various masterworks without once feeling you’re being lectured to.

Clever, cryptic, and with a wicked sense of humour, Recursion supplies a refined set of tools to go about solving its puzzles, and plenty of hints if the going gets too tough.

With a few, surprisingly minor, disadvantages brought about by touchscreen controls, Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile does exactly what it says on the tin.

A barely-interactive movie that follows a mother and daughter road trip that is disappointingly short on both drama and meaningful choices.

A clever and well-structured interpretation of the classic TV series as a co-op brawler, that would be a fun diversion even without the licence.

An enjoyable counterpart to Ghost Of Tsushima, with some truly excellent combat, but the bloated open world elements can often suffocate your enjoyment.

A disappointingly shallow and unfocused adventure that is aimed solely at a young audience - and even they’re likely to feel somewhat bored and patronised by the end.

An entertaining open world action role-player, with an interesting approach to AI-controlled companions, but which proves disappointingly similar to the 2012 original.

A spirited attempt to revive the former glories of gaming’s original survival horror but a lack of scares and sub-par action can’t defeat the ghosts of the past.

A polished, beautifully rendered Metroidvania with a huge map, plenty of upgrades, and moments of intense frustration.

An excellent remaster duology that’s an interesting reminder of early online console gaming and one of the most feature-packed Star Wars games ever made.

A disappointingly timid reboot/remake that while competently made does little to add to the Contra formula or move beyond the original games.

It all still works on touchscreen, with a few inevitable compromises, making it viable to play while you’re out, before returning to your PC or console.

For reasons unknown, Pinball Masters fails on the most basic level, its blurry, low frame rate visuals look like an early 90s FMV game. That makes it hard to tell where the ball is at any given moment, which in turn ruins the subtle timing necessary to play. Despite the number and complexity of tables on offer, the fact that you can’t see any of them properly makes it a frustrating disaster of missed chances and late reactions.

A wonderfully weird console strategy game that’s inspired by the past but forges its own very distinct legend, with beautiful visuals and deep but accessible gameplay.

A surreal and unsettling work of interactive fiction, that examines not just the end of Covid lockdown but issues of friendship, passion, and murder.

A historical supernatural role-player whose portrayal of Warsaw under Russian rule is highly compelling but where the combat and simplistic detective elements fail to engage.

Another improvement after two stellar editions in 2022 and 2023, WWE 2K24 feels like the culmination of a WrestleMania-sized comeback for the franchise.

An expertly constructed and intricate roguelite deck builder that draws on the language and concept of poker, before twisting it with an infinity of modifiers, unlocks, and delicately balanced risk and reward.

A hardcore roguelike that has none of the niceties of most modern equivalents and yet its old school charm and small innovations make it enjoyable despite itself.

One of the most impressive remasters ever seen, with almost every element of the original retuned and souped up, giving new life to a seminal first person shooter that is still very playable today.

A charming indie platformer with a fun central gimmick and excellent movement options, let down by garish visuals and some deliberate retro foibles.

Another fun piece of Splatoon single-player DLC, with an interesting mix of third person shooter and roguelike that would’ve been much better as the main story mode from the start.

Skull And Bones has great naval combat but far too little else to recommend it, with a weak story and gameplay systems that amount to nothing but endless busywork.

Somewhere between a non-interactive VR experience and a half-baked licensed game, the latest Stranger Things VR experience has neither a coherent storyline nor proper action.

An object lesson in how to turn an old classic into a modern masterpiece, that surpasses even Final Fantasy 7 Remake in terms of appealing to both veteran fans and complete newcomers.

An intriguing set-up, with an impressively ominous atmosphere, is spoilt by overfamiliar roguelike elements that ruin the pacing and increase the repetition.