Lunistice is a throwback to classic 3D platformers of yesteryear. While not particularly innovative, it's hard not to be charmed by its creative designs, incredible score, and frenetic movement.

Marvel's Midnight Suns might not deliver on everything it's setting out to do, but is still an excellent fusion of hardcore strategy and super hero action. It's engaging to take down enemies with your superpowered pals, and then getting to unwind with them afterwards.

Crude, repetitive, rarely scary, and quite often boring, Choo-Choo Charles butchers an unusual concept and only offers a few moments of mediocre tension.

Need for Speed Unbound has a few original ideas, and though some aspects needed tweaking, the core racing gameplay and a focus on car customization help the franchise keep drifting onward.

As a visual treat and atmospheric marvel, The Callisto Protocol has the presentation to be Dead Space’s modern-day superior, but shoddy lore, gameplay quirks, and blandness mean it does not quite make the cut.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide offers an authentic representation of the 40k lore, and while the cooperative action gameplay can be occasionally satisfying, it lacks content, has a few strange design choices, and suffers from too many performance issues.

Inspired by Portal, The Entropy Centre will make you think backwards as you complete good puzzle chambers with the help of an energetic AI companion and refreshing detours.

Pokémon Scarlet is a good game undone by extremely poor performance. The open-world set-up is fantastic, and the title does a good job of letting you wander into the deep end, but not forcing you to drown. Unfortunately, the copious amount of technical issues with it prevent it from reaching the heights it should have.

Pokémon Scarlet is a good game undone by extremely poor performance. The open-world set-up is fantastic, and the title does a good job of letting you wander into the deep end, but not forcing you to drown. Unfortunately, the copious amount of technical issues with it prevent it from reaching the heights it should have.

The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me has a promising start but ends up being a lackluster final game in the first season of this horror Anthology. Although the formula can still work, as demonstrated by The Quarry, with bland gameplay and uninteresting characters this sub-series clearly needs a facelift.

For a few moments, New Tales from the Borderlands captures the feeling of the series, but for the most part it's a rather generic and overlong trek that fails to excite, entertain, or amuse.

Harvestella is an interesting concoction of a JRPG experience merged with farming, which results in pure escapist fun. The combat and farming aspects are by no means elaborate, but their simplistic approach creates a relaxing atmosphere that is great to play in short bursts.

Intriguing visual design, a well-tuned action loop, and varied puzzles hold SIGNALIS steady against interference from silly item juggling and an incomprehensible narrative.

The Chant had the pieces to be a unique piece of survival horror entertainment, but the assorted aspects of the title fail to congeal into a satisfying adventure. The combat is clunky and bland, and the story has its moments, but doesn't deliver in the end.

Somerville is a nice looking adventure game with a unique puzzle element idea, but narrative and performance inconsistencies leave the overall experience a bit muted.

With a slightly different driving model, that is less enjoyable, and a severe lack of new content, WRC Generations is not much more than a compilation of previous entries with a different coat of paint.

Pentiment is mature in a way few games are. It exudes passion for the time period and subject matter, treating every character and issue with respect and reverence. If you want an adventure game that responds to your choices and trusts you to discover its narrative on your own terms, Pentiment is a must play.

Bayonetta 3 vastly expands its scope and has the biggest enemies and set pieces in the franchise to date, but in the midst of the bombastic action - along with some dubious gameplay and narrative choices - it loses a bit of its soul.

There is a great multiplayer experience in Modern Warfare II, due to its careful movement and strong gunplay, but with an uneven campaign and terrible co-op, the franchise has been better equipped in previous battles.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope builds upon the framework established by the first title in several positive ways. The tactical combat has been given more variety, and having more things to do outside of battle was also a smart addition. Despite the annoying Rabbids and lackluster plot, it's an overall improvement and a solid sequel.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord continues to offer a unique mix of grand strategy and large scale 3D battles. The strategy aspect could have used more depth and variety, as well as a better designed campaign and a lot more tutorials. But it's the battles that steal the spotlight, with thrilling large scale encounters. While the developers couldn't deliver on all their ambitions, the distinctiveness of the gameplay still helps the sequel stand out.

God of War Ragnarök is an innocuous sequel that continues on the path laid out by its predecessor. The writing and narrative leave something to be desired, but with solid gameplay and great presentation, there's plenty to see and do in these Nine Realms.

Fans of the original game will find very little to be excited about, but ultimately Overwatch 2 is a solid free to play hero shooter with polished gameplay and enough content to be worth checking out.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a vastly expanded sequel, for better and for worse. Returning fans might feel that everything here is quite familiar, if only bigger and more beautiful. If the improvements to combat and the uneven story aren't enough to entice you, the relationship playing out between our two central heroes is worth another trek through rat infested France.

Despite showcasing an interesting visual design, Scorn is an agonizing trip through a bizarre alien world with clunky combat, glacial mechanics, boring exploration, and a misplaced narrative.

PGA Tour 2K23 ups its game from the previous release. The sport remains as enjoyable as ever to play, and smart customization options keep the experience fresh. However, lackluster presentation still continues to be an issue.

NHL 23 is packed with modes and content that should impress almost any hockey fan, even if some of the technical elements could use a sprucing up. But in a world where NHL 22 exists, there are just far too few additions and improvements to recommend this year's game for returning players.

Let's Build a Zoo is an enjoyable management game that allows you to create and construct your own zoological park. The moral dilemmas you are often presented with are absurd and humorous, as you choose to either be a steady-eddy business hustler with an ecological mindset or be a sinister and exploitative tycoon.

The tiny backyard world in Grounded is a joy to explore, full of danger and wonder. It offers great value, despite a slow progression system and a drawn-out main quest line.

FIFA 23 is the final entry of this footballing franchise under its current iconic name, and it's not really one to remember. While the gameplay continues to strive forward, most of the other new features are rather undercooked and the overall package lacks a bit of polish.

Session: Skate Sim is undoubtedly a love letter to skateboarding enthusiasts that embraces the realistic aspects of the sport, but it might not appeal to everyone with its convoluted control scheme, and it still needs more polishing.

Prodeus is a noble tribute to the original Doom with plenty of action, excellent stylized visuals, and great level design. However, the brief campaign grows repetitive as the mechanics don't evolve beyond the basics, and multiplayer is unfortunately empty.

Return to Monkey Island is a good modernization of a classic pirate tale, even if it overuses nostalgia. Its array of sensible puzzles and light humor outshine pacing issues and a discordant art style.

Temtem is unequivocally a homage to the Pokémon franchise, but it does bear its own unique traits. The game is worth checking out for anyone looking for an experience that harbors the core DNA of Pokémon with an alternative take on the battling system.

NBA 2K23 represents one of the biggest steps forward for the franchise in recent years. The abundance of modes will keep players entertained throughout the NBA season, and the on-court gameplay continues to be improved. It's just a shame that microtransactions continue to be as woven within the fabric of the game as they are.

While the colorful underground worlds in Little Orpheus look fantastic, the terribly bland platforming and irritating story drag the whole experience down into the depths.

Metal: Hellsinger delivers a rhythm FPS with a killer soundtrack that does justice to the music genre; no more, no less. It sets the stage nicely for a stronger sophomore effort, but for now it's just an opening act.

Soulstice features decent combat with a few unique tricks, but it grows repetitive. With a dull story and lackluster presentation, it might mostly be of interest to DMC fans on a budget.

Splatoon 3 continues to ride on its ink wave of success thanks to a solid gameplay foundation, with some minor tweaks, extra content, and an improved user experience. Whether or not that’s enough, after years of development and another full price tag, will depend on what you're looking to get out of the experience.

Broken Pieces is a decent light adventure set in a nice-looking coastal town with satisfactory puzzles and some twists to the formula, despite minor aggravations and dull combat.

Endling may look nice, but it is a monotonous animal adventure with simple fox-feeding gameplay, bland skills, and restrictive exploration.

Rollerdrome certainly has its issues, but the overwhelmingly chaotic action is fun enough to compensate. I continually found myself dropping back into levels to try and chase higher scores and take out my foes with increasing style. There are elements that could have been fleshed out further, but considering the scope of the project, I'm impressed with the results.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter offers a somewhat optimistic glimpse at the lives of ordinary folks caught in the war. It will push players to decide where their loyalties lie, though the drama of conversation is often lost for the sake of an RPG point system.

For creator Sam Barlow and his studio Half Mermaid Productions, the push to eccentric cinematography continues with Immortality, as the video game elements fade further into the background. Some may find this odd collection of indie flicks enticing, but many will be disappointed by the lackluster interactivity.

The 2022 reboot of Saints Row manages to put together a decently engaging crew, but just about everything else is a litany of issues - from shallow and repetitive missions to unsatisfying action mechanics, poor presentation, and plenty of bugs.

Midnight Fight Express will largely appeal to movie fanatics, as the beat 'em up combat encapsulates the feeling of one big movie-action sequence with its adrenaline-induced gameplay.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a great RPG, and arguably the best title in the series to date. It could still use some editing, and the problems with the Switch itself will continue to hold the franchise back. But even those issues can't put a damper on the captivating combat engine and dynamic storytelling featured here.

Two Point Campus plays it safe and offers a different take on the familiar formula of its predecessor. It's a well-designed management game that has enough charm and content to draw you in, but staying engaged in the long run can be a challenge.

Excellent visuals, a bold and impressive mix of gameplay styles, a wonderful soundtrack, randomized character interactions, and hilarious dialogue come together to make Cult of the Lamb an intrepid adventure.

Last Days of Lazarus sets itself apart with lasting religious themes and compelling interior spaces. Unfortunately some tedious item-hunting and unappealing walks outside prevent this first-person adventure from rising above.

With its compelling narrative, gorgeous anime visuals, and multiple endings, Digimon Survive has all the winning traits that will make it a champion among visual novel and Digimon fans alike. Unfortunately, an incredibly simple and tedious turn-based battle system lets it down.

South of the Circle is a minimalistic game that tells an initially engaging, but ultimately underwhelming story. And beyond the narrative, there's not much here to recommend.

Cartel Tycoon gets the basics right, and its low price may entice some fans of management games. However, more could have been done with the setting and some of the mechanics. There are better options in the genre.

As Dusk Falls is held together by a strong start and good characters, despite the narrative deflating itself in the second half. Its choice and consequence system lacks real significance and more polish was needed for its atypical visual design.

Stray is a solid enough adventure game with archetypal mechanics and level design, elevated by its nice atmosphere and a unique perspective on the world.

Souldiers certainly won't be to everyone's taste, due to its lackluster plot and technical hiccups, but it's definitely one to check out if you are into Metroidvania or Souls-like games.

Eternal Hope had potential, and it has great presentation qualities. However, the lack of meaningful plot direction and unresponsive controls make the adventure more of a slog than it should be.

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a fantastic love letter to the Turtles' arcade and SNES classics from the 90s. The introduction of modern gameplay elements makes this a reinvigorated take on the classic genre that expertly balances contemporary expectations with nostalgia.

While it borrows bits and pieces from successful horror games, Everything Is For Humanity is far from the best first-person offering in the genre. Alongside its poor horror execution, it is inconsistent, incoherent, and unpolished.

Please Fix The Road is an often challenging puzzle game that sticks to its stringent design, without too many bells and whistles, and should appeal to some players looking for a rather specific puzzle design experience.

Although faithful to the 1997 movie, Starship Troopers: Terran Command as an RTS is not consistently enjoyable. Despite some good defensive sequences, its path-finding issues, bland missions, and excessive micromanagement bury some of the fun.

Mario Strikers: Battle League tears up the rule book of what you might expect in a traditional soccer experience and injects personality, outlandish action and mischievous tactics into the gameplay - though it could have used more content.

MLB The Show 22 is still a great game of ball, but one that is stating to slow down as it ages. San Diego Studio has been able to innovate in the past, and I hope they get around to addressing some of the weaknesses next time around. Whether that's through going full current-gen or delivering a fresh approach to Road to the Show, there is room for improvement.

The Quarry features arguably the best writing and cast that Supermassive Games have ever put together, along with some impressive quality visuals in certain spots. However, the gameplay formula lacks improvements and is starting to grow stale. This horror adventure should satisfy fans, but it's time for the developers to aim higher.

Cosmonaut Studios may be minnows, but they have managed to create a title that stands tall amongst the best in the storytelling genre. Eternal Threads is a great experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend to both fans and skeptics of this type of game.

The many short and sweet puzzles in The Inheritance of Crimson Manor make it a decent escape-room adventure. Although the frequent walking back and forth, and lean story, means this is not a definite lock-in for puzzle gamers.

SILT successfully conjures a dark and unnerving underwater atmosphere, and fans of similar titles should be satisfied - though it's a case of style over substance, as the gameplay largely falls flat.

Despite some pacing issues and uneven difficulty, Card Shark offers some very original card manipulation gameplay in a charming historical setting.

Thanks to the foundation built by its predecessor, Sniper Elite 5 is a good entry in the franchise, with large open levels and capable stealth mechanics. While it has several decent multiplayer options, better execution was needed to really hit all targets.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising has made a substantial effort to use a rich narrative with charming characters to create a genuinely wholesome world. However, the side quests serve as a barrier, as they entail the monotonous affair of gathering materials. Hopefully, Hundred Heroes will not fall prey to the same shortcomings as this introduction chapter.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong has grand ambitious, but its dated presentation, shallow gameplay and uninteresting story make for another disappointing outing from this brooding universe.

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees has a noble cause, to bring attention to the issue of animal conservation and human impact on the planet. And while it looks fairly good in doing so, the repetitive gameplay and sluggish pacing prevents this adventure from making any big leaps.

For all the promise that Loot River held with its amalgamation of gameplay features, they, unfortunately, don't gel together well. This is compounded by the technical issues making for an experience that is more frustrating than it is fun.

Despite the prospect of fun multiplayer moments, there's just too little content in Nintendo Switch Sports, and the minigames that it does offer have been done better elsewhere in Nintendo's own library.

Trek to Yomi is a visual masterpiece with a solid story, unfortunately let down by its gameplay. Whilst there are some enjoyable elements, it doesn't hold up when compared to numerous recently released peers that do samurai combat better.

Dorfromantik is an enjoyable light puzzle game with a pleasant presentation, strong core central mechanic, and plenty of replay value.

Though its narrative isn't cohesive, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the most complete and content packed Lego Star Wars adventure to date, with expanded combat, welcoming accessibility, and great presentation.

Although lacking refinement, Winter Ember is an adequate isometric stealth game that might spark joy for fans of the Thief franchise. With a more robust story, tidier stealth, and narrowed focus, Arthur might have given Garrett a run for his stolen loot.

Trolley Problem, Inc will continuously confront your morality with a series of ethically probing questions and uncomfortable answers. The dark narrated humour compliments the experience with satirical anecdotes. This might be an insightful endeavour if you're curious about ethics, but its arbitrary minimalist structure and brief length amount to a forgettable experience.

Cat Cafe Manager is a very relaxing game, once you get the hang of things it’s easier to fall into a systematic routine. The addition of everyday-life sounds made me almost feel like I was in a real cafe. Although I did enjoy managing my own Cat Cafe—and adopting as many stray cats as I could—I was really disappointed that the story ended quite quickly. It would have been nice if each villager had a personal quest that somehow tied with restoring the shrine.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim weaves a complex, intriguing tale that spans many characters and time periods, and manages to pull it all together in the end. This narrative 2D adventure offers little traditional gameplay - though the battle sections provide a satisfying enough distraction.

Young Souls is a well-designed brawler with an exciting combat system that is easy to use. The story makes an impactful impression as the wayward teens will constantly entertain you with a barrage of witty remarks while defending their sleepy town from hordes of underground monsters.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land might not redefine the genre, but it's still a solid 3D platformer with a great gimmick. Kirby's duplication ability makes for some great gameplay and the much-anticipated Mouthful Mode doesn't disappoint. It's still lacking in some areas, but there's plenty of enjoyment to be had.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a full-priced offering that seems like it would have been better suited as DLC, like its predecessor. It's still a solid shooter with some whacky characters and a fun story, but it doesn't take any risks or innovate on the established formula, and the multiplayer issues are an annoyance.

Weird West is a brilliant Action-RPG sandbox with an alluring supernatural undertone. The story finds a regular beat as it jumps through five intriguing characters. Both stealth and combat work decently from the isometric perspective, with good interactions, and only some camera issues and AI navigation quirks prevent it from striking a deep vein of gold.

WWE 2K22 is a massive step up in quality for the troubled wrestling franchise. The gameplay engine is in great shape, and the mode quality is mostly solid. While there are improvements to be made going forward, I'm no longer totally hopeless about the future of the series.

Ghost on the Shore is a bland walking simulator that has decent conversations with a ghostly companion. Its vague narrative, unexciting visuals, and typical formula make for a forgettable trip.

It may be several decades since the original was released, but the sportsmanship torch has been proudly passed onto Windjammers 2. It may lack a comprehensive offline arcade mode, but you can still get windswept into its addictive gameplay cycle and online competition.

Ghostwire: Tokyo has an interesting setting, but a lackluster story, monotonous combat, and disappointing visuals make for a forgettable adventure that doesn't justify its next-gen-only status, or the full asking price.

Chocobo GP is a solid kart racer that includes familiar gameplay mechanics and even adds a few welcome extras that give this game its own flavour. However, despite Final Fantasy’s long list of some of gaming's finest locations and characters, Chocobo GP has a surprising lack of content compared to other games in the same price range.

Tunic is an isometric action adventure with colorful visuals, fun exploration and well executed combat, though its insistence on lack of player guidance can make for a few frustrating moments.

Elden Ring is an unrelenting, engrossing, challenging, and marvelous experience. It brings the Dark Souls formula to an open world setting without skipping a beat, with all of its cryptic nature, punishing combat and wondrous level design. It's still not for everyone, but those who dare enter this realm may find themselves in one of the best games of the year.

Nobody Saves the World offers an interesting shapeshifting mechanic that is instrumental to the gameplay; however, the drawn-out reliance on repetitive quests holds it back from metamorphosising into its true potential.

Martha Is Dead is a good adventure thanks to its deep look into the mind of a character under stress. Aside from performance issues and missed opportunities, the game has great attention to detail and careful pacing.

Gran Turismo 7 continues to go about its brand of racing simulation in a uniquely eccentric and elegant way. It looks and handles as great as ever, though there is not much novelty here to get excited about, and the always-online requirement remains unwarranted.

GRID Legends makes racing exciting again thanks to its concise story mode, strong AI competitors, dramatic races, vehicle variety, and strong multiplayer. It’s just a pity that most tracks are too familiar and team management is lacking.

Sifu's deep combat and ageing mechanics aren’t for everyone, but those keen to roll with the kicks and punches will find one of the most satisfying and addictive brawlers of recent times.

ELEX 2 has a distinctive approach to RPG game design and an engaging story, but while it finally bucks the trend of having technical issues at launch, there's still much work to be done on the quality of combat and presentation.