Stories Untold is clever when it comes to delivering the narrative, and its brief text-adventure is interesting. Unfortunately, most of it is pushing buttons and turning dials on command, and this leaves much to be desired.

Planet Zoo is undoubtedly the most authentic zoo simulator you can play, perhaps to an extent that will deter some people. While micro-management and organization can be frustrating at times, the beauty of your creations, welfare of your animals, and happiness of your guests makes all that effort worthwhile.

Far Cry 5 manages to deliver some satisfying open world action with a focus on co-operative play, but a few poor design choices, disappointing story and occasional bugs hamper the overall impression.

Slime Rancher successfully taps into the addictive nature of farming simulators, while managing to make the gameplay loop more engaging and instantly rewarding. Seasoned vets of the genre may find some aspects to be lacking, but if you’ve never really found the appeal in maintaining your own virtual farm – this may be the game to change your mind.

Age of Empires IV is an old school RTS that should be comfortable for returning players and accessible to newcomers. A bigger focus on historical campaigns is enjoyable, alongside great Skirmish and multiplayer modes.

Persona 5 Strikers is a fun window back to the friendships and stylish aesthetic that made Persona 5 a hit. However, for better or worse this is its own game. Strikers proves that you can go back home, but it'll never quite be the same.

Battlefield V offers incredible pace as it sidesteps into the hardcore realm with modest success. Maps are open and satisfactory for Conquest, albeit with design issues, and some modes are too linear and chaotic. These inconsistencies, along with numerous technical issues, make it a good game that may eventually become a great one.

Company of Heroes 3 proves that its unique and addicting RTS formula remains intact, and while it has plenty of solo and multiplayer content to keep you engaged for hours, a few design issues and presentation weaknesses prevent it from being declared an outright triumph.

Stellar Blade is a mostly enjoyable action game with solid combat, strong presentation, and good enemy designs. Its scantily clad heroine is not very interesting, and neither is the story, but there is enough here to warrant a peek.

Dynamic empire management and deep tactical conquest forge the perfect alliance within the colorful sci-fi worlds of Age of Wonders: Planetfall. With nearly endless replay value, it is one of the most tantalizing turn-based games in years.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II keeps the basics intact, and while a strong lead character, great animations, and simple but enjoyable combat continue to deliver, the poor pacing and performance issues prevent this sequel from breaking free of its past.

Gears Tactics is a worthwhile spinoff that does a great job of integrating key franchise elements into a different genre. The story is shallow, and the missions get quite repetitive, but fans of turn based tactics should get some gory fun out of this one.

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

Fire Emblem Engage features familiar excellent gameplay with copious ways to customize your team. However, the story is rather dull, and the large roster is hurt by the limited character depth. There's plenty of tactical RPG gameplay to enjoy here, but it feels like a light step back for the series.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a well-made metroidvania spinoff, with solid - if not particularly imaginative or complex - gameplay. Targeting a younger audience through easy gameplay and a fairy tale aesthetic places it in an awkward spot within the rest of the franchise.

The Artful Escape is a joyous intergalactic trip with an electric guitar and vibrant visuals. Like a good solo, if you get swept up in the experience, you'll forget all about its flaws.

DREDGE offers an addictive fishing loop that pairs well with its surface-level Lovecraftian horror, undone only by a missed opportunity to dive deeper.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a step back for Frictional Games. It offers little substance in the way of puzzles, exploration, survival, or psychological horror. Aside from an excellent sequence within a spooky fort, the rest is an uninteresting mess that relies too much on scripted detours.

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

Yakuza Kiwami presents the strongest mechanics in the franchise’s history, as well as refined side missions and lots of fun distractions that create a fantastic reimagining of a great game.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is a mishmash of enjoyable 2D platforming and frustrating 3D sequences. Shadow at least manages to somewhat mitigate the clumsy controls thanks to some interesting gameplay wrinkles. The title also looks good, but probably won't bring the pair of hedgehogs back to the forefront of the genre.

MLB The Show 24 may not offer up many changes when it comes to outfield action, but the modes continue to be improved. I loved seeing Road to the Show finally get some dev time, and Storylines continues to be one of the strongest modes introduced by the series. If you're looking to escape from the potential disappointment of your real-life ball team, you'll find plenty of ways to do so here.

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a welcome return for the franchise. It’s arguably the best entry to date thanks to creative level design, gorgeous landscapes and excellent multiplayer. It may not be a new take on the formula like some expected, but considering the last time Frozenbyte tried that, perhaps this is for the best.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy offers some great dialogue, strong characters and occasionally interesting story choices. The gameplay is serviceable, and it could have used a bit more polish, but it's being in the company of these self-proclaimed good guys that you'll be most interested in.

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.

Pokemon Sword and Shield is more an iteration on a well-worn formula than a leap forward. Hardcore fans are going to enjoy the trappings of a series that has catered to them for years, but as a mainline home console Pokémon game, the expectations are going to be higher, and in some areas it’s a bit lacking.

Super Mega Baseball 3 is the perfect game if you're finding yourself burning out on more traditional sports sims. Its focus on gameplay and a fun suite of customization tools gives the experience a decidedly different flavor than most others in the genre.

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.