Though the idea of a Warhammer 40K themed ARPG certainly seems appealing, Martyr largely fails to capitalize on this potential due to unfocused design, clumsy gameplay and an abundance of technical and performance issues, despite boasting strong audio-visual presentation.

Weedcraft Inc is a fairly typical management game at its core, but one that feels limited in scope and yet with too many busywork mechanics. It also offers little insight on the real world issues.

Shenmue 3 feels instantly outdated, but at the same time is seemingly uncompromising in its vision. Despite some fun mechanics, lots of distractions, and a restrained take on combat, my nostalgia could only partially gloss over the weak characters, story and progress gating.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes can be engaging and stylish when it wants to be. However, it rarely wants to be either of those things, and is instead content to be a bland, boring slog that never gets out of first gear.

Fans of the story-driven adventure game will likely find parallels with previous successes like Life is Strange and SOMA, though State of Mind’s reductive puzzles and constant tone fail to match the level of personality in either. This said, the developers are committed to exploring transhumanism in relation to very pertinent contemporary concerns, and ensure there’s enough sci-fi fluff to distract from the simplistic gameplay structure.

Bright Memory: Infinite proves that smaller games don't always have to forego high quality visuals, but at the same time it also demonstrates that looks aren't everything.

XDefiant is a solid multiplayer shooter that may not surpass the leaders of the genre anytime soon, but it proves to be a notably alluring, free alternative.

High On Life unapologetically caters to advent fans of absurdist comedy, which overflows with expletive language and wacky scenarios. Lack of enemy variety and performance issues may be a deterrent for some, however.

Raccoo Venture is highly inspired by the classic 3D platformers of yesteryear but does not implement enough unique ideas to stand out from the crowd. There are some fantastic environmental puzzles that are thoroughly fun to solve, but they are far too short. The uneven difficulty, annoying secondary character mechanics, and a few bugs ultimately dilute the experience.

Blair Witch, much like the rest of the franchise, is a disappointment. It's not scary, it's rarely interesting and it's not particularly fun to play. It has a solid look, but is lacking in just about every other department. I say this begrudgingly, but you're better off watching the films.

This indie roguelike is nothing revolutionary, but acts as a fun tribute to the action focused dungeon crawlers of yesteryear. Those looking to get a satisfying, adrenaline-inducing dose of hack n' slash nostalgia shouldn't be disappointed.

Angels with Scaly Wings generally overcomes its goofy setup and simplistic presentation to deliver a character-driven plot with some good surprises, making for a decent little diversion of a game.

There are a few issues holding The King's Bird back from being a true standout hit, but those who like their platformers to be a bit avant-garde, should be able to appreciate this virtual ride, along with speed run enthusiasts.

NHL 25 makes some minor strides to improve on last year's game, but will mostly appeal to those interested in team management and being a superstar forward. As a franchise, it continues to wait for a top draft pick that can turn things around in a meaningful way.

The Inner Friend was in much need of adding risk to its puzzles and encounters, if it hoped to create the eerie, unsettling atmosphere of which its subject matter and visual design are more than capable.

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.

Stealth fans might find enough entertainment in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, thanks to moments of decent immersion and sound manipulation, but inconsistent and shallow mechanics hold it back.

As buggy as the bayou, Alone in the Dark is a disappointing return for the classic horror franchise. Derceto Manor has corners worth exploring, and the puzzles are smartly designed. However, the clunky combat, lack of scares, unengaging story and drab voice acting sully the overall package.

Hidden Agenda isn't very deep, but it's a fun and creative game that you're going to want to share with all of your friends. It's an interesting showcase of making a typical adventure title into a party experience that takes advantage of the PlayStation’s PlayLink platform.

The Casting of Frank Stone may not be weighed down by its ties to the Dead by Daylight universe, but it's nonetheless unable to reach the surface from under the waves of a slow story, dull gameplay and a lack of thrills.

Simple puzzles and bland chases prevent Close to the Sun from living up to its numerous inspirations. While the game has a decent retro style and an intriguing horror narrative, it never makes the player a true participant.

Payday 3 introduces a few changes to its decade-old arcade heist formula, and yet still feels very much like a product of a bygone era. Returning fans will find many missing features and lack of content to grumble about, while newcomers were turned away with unplayable servers during launch week, and it's hard to tell if either group will be back.

Detective Pikachu Returns had the potential to appeal to everyone as most Nintendo and Pokemon games do, but instead falls in the bracket of being a milquetoast experience that will only occupy younger players.

Diluvion is a submarine adventure with lofty goals that largely falls short. Still quite a serviceable experience, but ultimately a rough and insubstantial one.

Bleeding Edge has a solid foundation as a melee-focused multiplayer action game that tries to appeal to the masses, but it is a bit short on content, and has a few notable issues that need resolving. Within such a highly competitive genre, hopefully changes arrive sooner rather than later, if the game is to have a shot at longevity.

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.

There is an interesting story in Someday You’ll Return and a potion-crafting system that works suitably well, but players must endure an overlong adventure through a confusing forest with questionable puzzles, bad stealth, and too many clunky mechanics.

AEW: Fight Forever nails the gameplay mechanics, but struggles in several other areas, with a lackluster presentation and gaps in the roster. It doesn't hit the lows some of the recent WWE 2K games, but it also can't match that series' current high.

Stronghold: Warlords is a slightly revamped version of the game that hasn't changed in decades. The new setting and diplomacy mechanics don't add enough flavor to a stale experience, that still has a few issues to work out.

Immortals of Aveum may have an interesting premise, but with a dull story, repetitive gameplay, and poor technical performance, this full priced first person shooter lacks magic.

Torchlight 3 is a passable action RPG with decently crispy combat and satisfactory classes. But the workmanlike boss runs, unexciting gear, dull story, bizarre Fort design, and multiplayer issues all keep it below both its predecessors and competitors.

Vostok Inc. is something of an oddity. It offers some competent shooter mechanics dressed up with some playful satire, unique concepts, and plenty of gameplay for those who seek it. But the overall experience feels lacking, uneventful, and repetitive, especially when it comes to the click-fest sim components.

Road 96: Mile 0 certainly takes risks - both in narrative and gameplay - but unfortunately it does not pay off. The trippy skating segments are amusing, but are probably not what traditional adventure fans wanted from this prequel.

InnerSpace features a unique game world with some nice moments of quaint exploration and set pieces, but on the whole it’s a bit too cramped and pricey to truly soar.

Twin Mirror is a teaser for an exciting adventure that it never delivers. There are some good ideas here, like the interesting Mind Palace world and a helpful imaginary twin, but they needed to be expanded. Ultimately it has a short and bland story, with minimal interaction, limited player choice, and a lack of memorable characters.

Degrees of Separation is definitely not great, but it's not exactly bad either. Instead, it's something potentially worse: forgettable. An intriguing premise is wasted on dull gameplay that never rises above simply being serviceable.

Dustborn grabs the generic modern day adventure game formula and adds a bunch of cliché and often annoying characters, a subpar story, some low-grade music, along with a heavy-handed dose of politics front and center, resulting in a middling and overlong road trip that's more concerned about its poorly delivered message than anything else.

The Falconeer has grand world building ambitions that never come to pass. Its narrative lacks a proper set-up, or a satisfying payoff, as the gameplay seems entirely disconnected. The poor control scheme, occasionally frustrating difficulty, and repetitive missions make for a forgettable launch game on Xbox Series X.

Alt-Frequencies has a unique hook in its gameplay and story, with plenty of potential, but it skews towards being an all-too-brief mobile game rather than a full fledged adventure puzzle.

Damsel manages to be a competent action platformer that speedrun enthusiasts and leaderboard junkies should get a kick out of, but it achieves little beyond this. The constant dashing around while shooting vampires proves fun in short bursts, but doesn't have a ton of longevity.

For long-time fans of the franchise, Dynasty Warriors 9 feels like it has its heart in the right place, but the implementation of the open world and MMO mechanics feels dated, creating a bland experience that does not do the colorful series justice.

Although an improved sequel, there is both good and bad in Star Wars Battlefront II. Class-based troopers and a smart reinforcement system are hindered by horrid progression. The large modes succeed, when there are no bottlenecks or balance issues. And if the single player cared about its main character, then it would have complimented the game’s astounding presentation.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD has moments of entertaining mayhem, but they are hidden beneath layers of dated gameplay, nonsensical story, and gated behind a high asking price. Instead of being able to potentially discover a lost classic, mech fans get a rusted out blast from the past.

Gear.Club Unlimited may be the only racing car game on the Nintendo Switch for the moment, but it squanders this early lead on a repetitive career, underwhelming presentation and functional, but uninspired gameplay with a price that feels too high.

Blanc is a game with heart, and it'll definitely bring you and a player two together. I can't recommend it over some other recent co-op outings, but it's still an experience worth having if you can ignore a couple of issues.

Biomutant bites off more radioactive waste than it can chew. It's an action game with a multitude of ambitions, but none of them are fully realized. The very dated presentation and poor performance only further hamper its already weakened potential.

Windbound offers a simply adequate sailing adventure. The crafting system is predictable, the story simplistic, and the world is beautiful but quite empty. You might find some enjoyment from the bigger islands toward the end of the game, but not everyone will have the patience to make it that far.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an enjoyable enough adventure, but it’s missing a hook to get players invested. The game wants you to get lost in the economy and exploration it offers, but in just performing these menial tasks for their own sake it fails to create any moments where the entire experience is more than a series of distractions.

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.

A polished, well-presented skin wrapped around thoroughly unremarkable stealth fundamentals. Serial Cleaner is not an actively antagonistic experience, just draining and unrewarding.

Guiding a clan of primates through generations as they evolve certainly makes for a unique experience, and there are times when Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey comes together. But a lack of guidance on basic gameplay mechanics, as well as some clumsy controls and unsuccessfully executed ideas, make for a highly uneven game.

Planet of the Eyes is a thoroughly average platformer that needed more in order to stand out. The mood of the game crafted by Cococucumber is solid, but the gameplay just doesn’t measure up to even the most basic platformers out there. There’s just not enough here to make the game worth recommending.

We Happy Few contains moments of enjoyment and artistic brilliance, but they are short lived, and - like a Joy withdrawal - the eventual comedown of the clunky, burdensome reality of the gameplay seeps in. A classic case of style over substance.

Sea of Solitude dives into a broad range of mental issues and treats them carefully enough to be both educational and emotional. It’s just a pity that the bland gameplay drowns out some of its best parts.

Super Lucky's Tale looks and sounds pleasant, and its charming world and characters will appeal to younger audiences. However, despite getting the basics right, some gameplay and overall design concerns lead the game down a few wrong foxholes.

Severe performance problems and a misguided implementation of Souls mechanics in Darksiders 3 tarnish an otherwise perfunctory, but at least occasionally enjoyable return to one of last generation's better action series.

A poor story, writing and performances coupled with outdated quest design make King's Bounty II a tough game to play through. Turn-based battles are enjoyable but can't make up for the game's numerous issues.

The smattering of flaws aside, NBA Playgrounds manages to be a fun multiplayer street hoops experience that is at least partially successful in recapturing the charm of NBA Jam. Player decks and lottery pick meter are subtle but effective elements to help give the game a bit of its own character.

Uncovering the past has its ups and downs in The Suicide of Rachel Foster. While not a horror game, it only needed a slight nudge to become one and it would have been better for it. At least its roomy hotel setting is nice to explore, even if the world needed more detail and excitement.

Skull and Bones may have survived the turbulent seas of its long voyage to release, but the end result is a game that's barely kept afloat by its solid sailing mechanics, while the uninspiring content, underwhelming presentation, and poor multiplayer design punch far too many holes in the hull.

Moonglow Bay starts strong with its emotional story and initially solid gameplay loop of fishing and cooking. Unfortunately, bugs and the lack of variety quickly become its downfall, resulting in an experience that grows more bland and frustrating to play the further you progress.

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.

Strikers Edge has some decent mechanics at its core, but a lack of gameplay modes, short campaign and deserted online scene make this essentially a barebones local multiplayer title with a high asking price.

A tycoon game about building a bar for vampires is a great idea - but sadly the execution here leaves a lot to be desired. The management gameplay is a bit too simple for my liking, but it's the constant game-breaking bugs that really suck the fun out of the experience.

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.

Empire of Sin gets lost in a maze of design decisions that lead to an unfocused and sprawling game. The management and RPG mechanics cannibalize each other, meaning that neither works on its own and they definitely don’t work well together.

Call of Cthulhu has a lot of things going for it, with a unique take on the genre and some solid scares on offer. Horror fans should give it a look, but you're going to have to be patient with its blemishes.

Garage: Bad Trip is an unrelenting barrage of camp horror and ridiculous action sequences whose grungy VHS aesthetic will likely appeal to cult-movie enthusiasts, while also managing to be well-structured, accessible top down shooter with its very own grotesque thrills.

Across three hours, In My Shadow has a few puzzles that might make you stand up in your chair. But the rest of the dull, fiddly shadow-moving experience will make you wish you turned out the lights and had a nap instead.

As nice as it is to see a long-dormant retro series return, Super Bomberman R's lack of creativity and unbalance issues result in it not feeling like the proper comeback it could have been.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends features an engrossing setting and some good competitive play when two well-matched, coordinated teams collide. However, there are balancing and technical issues that need addressing, and despite the lower asking price, there seems to be a lack of content for long term play.

Destruction AllStars has the foundations of a decently entertaining demolition derby, but that's about it. The game is short on content, doesn't feature much depth or serves as a showcase for the PS5, and its only saving grace is that it's free for PS Plus at launch. When, or perhaps if, the game returns to its regular pricing, it will be much tougher to recommend.

Despite some brisk and occasionally satisfying combat, Necromunda: Hired Gun is a boring and clunky foray into a deep dark hole within the WH40K universe.

SpellKeeper feels a bit like the fidget spinner equivalent of a puzzler. It's an almost calming experience to distract your mind with, and while it verges on overly-simplistic at times, it still somehow manages to feel satisfying and rewarding.

Sonic Forces is a mixed bag, but the bad outweighs the good. Its few bright spots - mostly in the form of classic Sonic - get dimmed by the muddled mess of the weaker elements, and the lack of content doesn't help. The game's biggest achievement is the reminder of old school Sonic's superior gameplay.

Don't Forget Me offers a shallow story in a generic Sci-Fi setting. The word guessing mechanic is the only thing the game has to offer, and it isn't very good. The music and visuals are decent enough, but they don't fit together.

The Station lacks the storytelling it needed in order to justify playing it. The lack of gameplay could have been overlooked if the story was up to snuff, but it just simply isn't. What results is a short, boring experience that will only satisfy the most desperate of sci-fi fans.

Metal Gear Survive is an enticing, challenging, polished and occasionally frustrating spinoff that doesn't devalue the reputation of the franchise, and offers a unique standalone experience that fans of survival games should enjoy getting stuck into.

If Double Dragon, Final Fight, Streets of Rage or Golden Axe were your go-to coin-ops on childhood trips to the arcade, 99Vidas might well resurface some fond, pre-millennium memories. But alas, nostalgia only gets a game so far, and once the thrill-ride is over, there’s very little reason to return for a second playthrough.

Xenoraid produces a feeling of excitement and balances it out with an almost somber, hypnotic feel as you fly through the black clutches of space grinding away. Its simplistic nature probably won’t lead to many binge sessions, but for quick pick-up-and play action, it does the job well enough.

While packed with content, WRC 8 is a rally sim that struggles on the Switch due to poor presentation and the console's inherently unresponsive controls.

Anamorphine is a narrative adventure that fails to deliver its story with enough competence to offer the player any emotionally engaging content. So what you're left with is a low-budget, brief experience with no replay value and a high asking price.

Ashwalkers is a low priced, brief survival adventure that offers neither satisfying decision making nor engaging gameplay mechanics.

Godfall is such an unpleasant experience it's difficult for me to find anything to like. Occasionally, it flirts with just being a mediocre snooze, but then you hit an aggravating boss fight that reminds you of how poorly it was designed. It would take an entire shift in tone and genre to salvage anything offered.

Although the Australian setting is good, and it occasionally shows potential, Broken Roads is a clumsy party-based RPG with mediocre combat, pacing issues, and bland fetch quests.

Despite its accessibility, Red Bow is not going to be for everyone. This isn’t just because of its darker themes, but its rigid, basic structure that shifts between item gathering and NPC interaction. Even at the $5 asking price, it’s tough to recommend to anyone but those who really fancy horror adventures with ample reading.

Need for Speed Payback squanders its open world on races against rubberbanding AI, linear escapes from a timer instead of the cops, and a broken economy that will leave you grinding for far too long. Throw in a bland story and unlikable characters, and you've got a franchise on a serious downward trend.

Phoning Home is a mediocre survival adventure through excessively large game spaces with a slow robot and his inept companion.

Aka is an easy game to be charmed by, with an endearing world and uplifting messages. However, the routine crafting systems and frequent minor bugs lead to an experience that feels more like work than play.

Although WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a way more pleasant experience then last year's wrestling debacle, the franchise still has a ways to go. The title sets out what it wanted to do, which was a provide a light, arcade-like take on the WWE. However, between the lack of depth and intrusive microtransactions, I'm not sure how much staying power it has.

The Complex is a run-of-the-mill live action adventure game, in a genre that can't really afford to phone it in. The decent price tag makes it at least a bit endearing for the curious, but fans will find The Complex to be an underwhelming movie and a forgettable game.

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy was created with a specific audience in mind, and if you’re not in that audience, you can do much better. The fighter just isn’t particularly enjoyable to play, with a tepid combat engine and poor Switch performance.

Crackdown 3 offers occasional glimpses of fun, but it's far too bogged down by outdated mechanics, bugs, and disappointing multiplayer to be worth anywhere near the full asking price.

Disintegration is a dull experiment. Taking shallow replicas of two genres and squeezing them together results in a largely forgettable game that can hardly even be considered a curiosity. The technical issues and average presentation don't help matters.

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.

Distortions adopts the negative connotations of its own name by offering an overpriced mix of poor storytelling, bad gameplay, lack of polish, and an outdated presentation.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 attempts to push the franchise forward by introducing new mechanics and an open world, but the delivery falls flat. With an underwhelming story and plenty of bugs, the result is a game stuck in mediocrity.

Cars 3: Driven to Win has the potential to be an enjoyable enough kart racer, with plenty of content and true-to-film art style. Unfortunately, frustrating AI and poor presentation, on top of a full asking price, keep this title from reaching a podium finish.