Fairly fun writing and shooting let down by almost everything else. This is merely a live service treadmill looking for a reason to exist that doesn’t yet satisfy. [Issue#38, p.70]

We don’t want to call this the Dark Souls of potion crafting, but in this game the journey is the destination, and your path will be littered with failed potions. [Issue#37, p.93]

A fairly basic collection of ports that we’re glad exists, but these aren’t must-play classics so much as curios for the gaming palaentologists only. [Issue#37, p.92]

The most welcoming Tekken for beginners, yet also the definitive experience for fans. Kicks the competition to the kerb, and finishes it off with a flashy move. [Issue#37, p.88]

While it doesn’t reach the storytelling heights of the Phoenix Wright Trilogy, this is a collection of great remasters with several standout mysteries. [Issue#37, p.86]

A comeback story for the ages. Beautiful, with awesome combat and perfect parkour. Hollow Knight: Silksong may have to cure cancer to top this. [Issue#37, p.82]

We could say more, but this is best seen for yourself. Excellent performances and mostly solid period-pastiche production design make this hard to look away from. [Issue#37, p.81]

Offers a solid throwback to ’80s PC gaming, and while the minigames don’t always land, the fantastic story will keep you invested until the end. [Issue#37, p.80]

The central hook almost carries this dungeon crawler, but it struggles to stand out in a crowded field. There’s loot to be found here, but more like a puddle’s worth. [Issue#37, p.78]

Fantastic characters, impeccable combat, and a fresh setting lift up a game that can otherwise feel stuck in the past. We’re beyond ready for more Kasuga. [Issue#36, p.72]

Going full detective on figuring out these languages can be joyous, though other, duller, modes of play can get in the way more often than we’d like. [Issue#36, p.81]

An enjoyable Age Of Sigmar campaign, nicely presented and newcomer-friendly, but convoluted controls hamper yet another RTS game on console. [Issue#36, p.80]

With immense scope for creativity and an admirable approach to customising the experience, Teardown smashes it. You can break this in all the right ways. [Issue#36, p.78]

A new dungeon with some trimmings, only the new boss fight truly impresses. The rest offers some fine though non-essential worldbuilding. [Issue#36, p.77]

While we’re sad to see RPG mode go, the fighting in this update-sequel is wonderfully easy to get to grips with and dripping with possibilities. [Issue#36, p.76]

A larger, varied zombie shooter sequel with an emotionally resonant story about a man and his dog, but equipment frustrations mean it’s short of VR greatness. [Issue#36, p.74]

Visually stunning, this is a fun but undeniably flawed visit to the superbly recreated world of Pandora. It should have been better; we’re left feeling blue about that. [Issue#36, p.70]

A fun story campaign teaches you everything you need to build a great time in yet another excellent Steamworld game. What genre will Thunderful nail next? [Issue#35, p.95]

RoboCop is dreadfully buggy but an obvious love for the licence plus some brilliantly realised shooting pushes aside any doubts you might have; it’s just FUN. [Issue#35, p.94]

Takes a simple idea for activity and turns it into something special, thanks to immersive controls, a powerful sense of exploration, and great worldbuilding. [Issue#35, p.92]

An interesting premise meets outstandingly written characters, but the gameplay is lacking. Might have made a better visual novel than a dungeon crawler. [Issue#35, p.90]

A bite-sized RPG with a twist on turn-based combat, worth the emotional damage. Smartly written and with a winning personality, this one’s a genuine charmer. [Issue#35, p.89]

At once stylish, clever, frustrating, and messy, Ghostrunner 2 isn’t simple to enjoy or recommend. But there’s no denying the quality of the design. [Issue#35, p.88]

Tactica lovingly translates Persona 5 to another format, but once you grasp the basic activity, the lack of variety both in action and story make it drag. [Issue#35, p.87]

While admittedly a little buggy in places, this is a clever use of Isaac Asimov’s genre- leading science fiction, with enough invention and immersivity to impress. [Issue#35, p.83]

The problem is that these mechanics don’t evolve. [Issue#35, p.82]

Justice’s greatest problems lie at a technical level. It doesn’t fall down often, but when it does, it falls hard. Power through these issues and you’ll find a bloody good vampire adventure. The ending hints at a sequel; we hope it gets made. Justice is bat to the bone. [Issue#35, p.82]

The VR game’s as short-lived as the PS4 version, while the optional objectives that pad out a level rarely have anything to do with killing spiders, though completing them does earn you upgrades to make mass arachnicide easier. If you’ve killed them with fire once already, however, the promise of doing it again in virtual reality isn’t quite so tantalising. [Issue#35, p.82]

EA Sports WRC is simply the finest example of the genre. A few hitches and bugs can’t detract from a deep, breathless and wholly fun experience. Easy, right? [Issue#35, p.91]

Little Goody Two Shoes is a colourful gift of genuine uneasiness tied up with a bow and laid out as a tasty and fully worthy ritual offering to nostalgia. [Issue#35, p.80]

It’s always good to see Kiryu again, but the lack of other recognisable faces and fun side-quests makes this a mere time filler until Infinite Wealth arrives. [Issue#35, p.76]

Fantastic monochrome style and chilling writing makes this a great horror to spend time with, though it struggles to maintain the mood across lots of runs. [Issue#35, p.75]

It looks absolutely beautiful and the mystery is initially intriguing, but where’s the game? Gradually becomes one of the most tedious spacewalks in a long time. [Issue#35, p.74]

A series high for PvP, a series low for Zombies and the campaign. Worth it for multiplayer, but paying for the whole package leaves a sour taste. [Issue#35, p.70]

If you’ve already played Payday 2 and its DLC to death, this is your logical next step; if you haven’t, go and play that first. It’s cheaper and chonkier. [Issue#34, p.96]

Doesn’t veer far from the original’s winning formula, but the high gloss and family-friendly action mean there’s much to champion. Not essential, but beautifully slick. [Issue#34, p.95]

Trepang2 certainly delivers as a single-player FPS when it comes to loud, bloody action and tactically smart enemies, but it’s a little short on personality and variety. [Issue#34, p.94]

Strong in every stance, Fate/Samurai Remnant is an all-around hit, giving everything you’d expect from a good Fate game and then some. [Issue#34, p.92]

An interesting science adventure with plenty of style, but with little opportunity to influence the outcome it’s hard not to feel like an outsider in this story. [Issue#34, p.90]

Glimmers of a great throwback are here but nothing holds up upon close inspection. Missions lack depth while this combat was better left in the past. [Issue#34, p.86]

A repetitive Dark-Souls-by-numbers is livened up by a universe-swapping idea. Hey, why doesn’t FromSoft steal that idea for its next game? Seems only fair. [Issue#34, p.84]

A masterclass in the art of comedy and character writing, this deceptively simple trilogy is heartwarming, silly, and rib-achingly funny in equal measure. [Issue#34, p.83]

While you can appreciate Boundless Trails’ handheld roots, this is a fun action romp that transcends the platform it was originally created for and delivers an adventure worth undertaking. [Issue#34, p.82]

All the games here are nicely presented versions of the classics as they stand, without too many frills. [Issue#34, p.82]

It doesn’t completely derail the gothic vibes. You use a special lantern to reveal hidden clues or images beneath the paintings hanging on the walls, for instance. The game’s most impressive trick is the use of real actors captured with an impressive 3D volumetric technique, lending a fun, campy theatricality to proceedings, the ghostly visions of these past guests unlocking as you complete each puzzle. We could have done with more this aspect, rather than the usual lore collectathons and audio logs, but this isn’t a bad way to reimagine a classic ’90s FMV puzzler for VR. [Issue#34, p.82]

[Issue#34, p.80]

Shadow Gambit too complex? Too many hours of cutscenes in the Metal Gear collection? Try this snack-sized stealth that anyone can enjoy instead. Exquisite! [Issue#34, p.79]

A short, sweet adventure that manages to be both silly and sincere. Lil Gator Game’s island is bursting with fun activities, animal friends, and potential for exploration. [Issue#34, p.78]

For the most part a thrilling story with fist-pumping missions. New mechanics are a mixed bag – but it’s still one of the best superhero things ever. [Issue#34, p.74]

Lacklustre original ideas combine with a dull execution of a classic. You’d need a huge magnifying glass to find what little works here. Please read the book. [Issue#34, p.73]

Not as compelling as Limbo and Inside. But it has brilliant puzzles (mostly), beautiful presentation (always), and that levels-within- levels idea is an all-timer. [Issue#34, p.72]

Neither particularly exciting nor even safe, Superstars’ greatest Sonic sin is being really quite boring, and not very suited to multiplayer antics at all. [Issue#34, p.70]

Great writing meets interesting characters, but less interactivity and a more sedate pace than even the wordiest of visual novels make this a bit of a slog. [Issue#34, p.68]

Worth the wait. Capital ‘A’ ambitious and well realised, Remedy is letting its freak flag fly in full force. We love every twist of this spiral into survival horror. [Issue#34, p.62]

Smartly building on the design of the base game to offer new challenges, this snappy six-hour campaign is a wonderful addition and testament to the future. [Issue#33, p.93]

Infuriating. Fun sea exploration, but we can’t help wondering if Quantic Dream published this to make its own horrible writing look better by comparison. [Issue#33, p.92]

Improvements across the board see the FIFA era left behind. Gameplay to sate purists meets fun fantasy elements – like teams featuring men and women. [Issue#33, p.90]

Great set-pieces and acting carry an uneven yet inventive campaign, and new skills complement 2.0’s combat tweaks – though it’s not quite a revelation. [Issue#33, p.88]

Squint a little and you could be playing Bloodborne. So why not just play Bloodborne with your eyes open? Nevertheless, a solid B-tier soulslike. [Issue#33, p.86]

The Kampaign is the one of the best we’ve seen in years but stripped-back side-content and a barebones online mode hold this reboot back from greatness. [Issue#33, p.82]

While it’s not without its flaws, Sea Of Stars is a tremendous love letter to JRPGs and a huge achievement for a studio as small as Sabotage. [Issue#33, p.80]

Ko_Op shoots for the moon and lands among the stars. A heartfelt coming-of-age tale, there won’t be a dry eye by the time you play the final notes. [Issue#33, p.78]

The core experience is superb, but the same is true of the now significantly cheaper NBA 2K23. Unless the latest rosters are important to you, buy that instead. [Issue#33, p.77]

Although its combat can be finicky and it’s not the smoothest execution of VR, RuinsMagus’ charming characters and story makes the dungeoning not so dreary. [Issue#33, p.76]

Slick, full of things to do, and boasting an admirable level of variety. If you’re okay with multiplayer being the weakest link, then this is an easy recommendation. [Issue#33, p.74]

It is abundantly clear why this massive adventure took six years to develop from every lovingly sharpened plot hook, every subtle quirk of a party member’s lips, and every new arrangement of that gorgeous, central musical motif. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a glorious lightning strike, pairing talent with timing for not just a worthy successor to the series’ crown, but something truly special in its own right. We’ve no doubt we’ll head back down, down, down by the river to adventure anew for years to come. [Issue#33, p.68]

This feels – and arguably is, given First Contact’s emphasis on post-launch updates– unfinished, rendering what could have been fantastic merely ‘good’. [Issue#32, p.92]

A rather old-fashioned bike sim that focusses purely on racing beautiful bikes in a solid and smooth game engine. It’s not riotously fun, but the quality’s there. [Issue#32, p.91]

Great performances and some good writing, but never tops the opening scare of how much money it’s asking for four hours of frustratingly limited activity. [Issue#32, p.89]

A disappointing followup filled with gimmicks to validate its existence that end up getting in the way of the core appeal. Perhaps Moving Out 2 was a pivot too far. [Issue#32, p.89]

All the ingredients of a great open-world RPG are here, but the lacklustre combat, bugs, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it story leave an unpleasant taste. [Issue#32, p.86]

Wholly uninspired and painfully dull, this is a shambolic effort that squanders the potential of its solid FPS foundations through dated design and technical issues. [Issue#32, p.81]

The premise seems silly, but thought has gone into this chess-shooter mashup. However, difficulty spikes and lack of replayability mean it struggles to hold attention. [Issue#32, p.81]

Challenging without being unfair, accessible without being patronising. It might be the VR skating experience you’ve dreamed of (if you dreamed of using your hands). [Issue#32, p.80]

From’s mech series is purring better than ever, offering you a path to finesse like little else, though some parts here could still use a tune-up. [Issue#32, p.76]

An enjoyable mystery in keeping with the Hercule Poirot you know and love, but not one with much interactivity beyond smashing together evidence. [Issue#32, p.74]

An aggravating mix of truly gorgeous visuals and some fun platforming challenges with unsatisfying combat. It feels often flat, and doesn’t live up to the first game. [Issue#32, p.72]

A terrific revival of a genre with plenty of life to give. Brilliant, slick controls and funky vibes have you owning the streets, but could use more challenge. [Issue#32, p.69]

Everything you’d want from a Rogue Legacy sequel, and more, this dramatically enriches and expands its genre-defining blueprint to the point of near perfection. [Issue#30, p.99]

An involved, improved story mode and the progression-based F1 World complement the exemplary career. It’s the best year-on- year update since F1 2013. [Issue#30, p.96]

A misjudged leap forward. While refined and polished, its fresh ideas cannot disguise the fact that we’ve passed that one parked car on Edwards Island before. [Issue#30, p.95]

A watercolour world presented alongside journalling mechanics that don’t quite capture it at its best. Otherwise, it’s short, sweet, and bound to leave you sobbing. [Issue#30, p.94]

First-class puzzling that feels like little else, beautifully presented, wonderfully planned, and with a gripping story to boot. Don’t let this case grow cold. [Issue#30, p.92]

Although it feels like there’s a lot of padding to justify another instalment, Reverie nonetheless gives the Trails series’ Crossbell arc a satisfying conclusion. [Issue#30, p.91]

A competitive version of Crash Bandicoot’s platform template is a great idea and realised with style, but it really is just the same activity on repeat, for now. [Issue#30, p.89]

Exhilarating and creative combat means we feel truly let loose in PSVR2. The only down side is… with only nine levels to get through, we want more. [Issue#30, p.86]

Diablo is back, and taking no prisoners. The top-quality, lengthy campaign will be enough for some, while the endgame should prove a welcome obsession for others. [Issue#30, p.84]

New numbered FFs are good again. Stunning to look at, with new, punchy combat, and a great yarn, it is, if anything, too focussed, lacking a bit of the weird. [Issue#30, p.78]

Bland and glitchy scenery does nothing to endear you to the one-note gameplay. It’s decently playable, and controls well, but the magic of the first game is gone. [Issue#29, p.97]

Short but sweet (and deliciously sour), it’s difficult to imagine these fables being adapted any better than they have been here. Cross your fingers for a sequel. [Issue#29, p.96]

Loop8 isn’t able to present a coherent whole – underwhelming writing, overly simple mechanics, and an annoying loop mechanic simply don’t mix. [Issue#29, p.94]

A superb Gollum isn’t enough to save the game he’s been parachuted into, which is by turns dull and frustrating. It’s destined for Mount Doom (the bargain bins). [Issue#29, p.92]

The one-two combo of violence and strategy works well… initially, at least. The further you progress, the more it seems that luck and grind play overactive roles. [Issue#29, p.91]

We’ve said it before when it comes to games that aim to handle like their obvious inspirations: if we’re yearning for the way those games felt rather than what’s in our hands, something has clearly gone wrong. Knowing that in Tony Hawk we’d be able to move around the world with ease, only to be met with Skatebird’s annoying heft and proclivity for us to clip on edges just sucks the joy out of playing. Which is a shame, as move beyond the cringeworthy memery and the writing itself is actually quite delightful. But you never come to a skater for the dialogue, you’re here for action – and this isn’t worth the bails it takes for you to stick the landing. [Issue#29, p.90]

Apart from racing up papery billboards and conjuring spectral trees to propel us over gaps, the platforming bits are spoiled by Gaia’s awkward handling. Combat against the remaining ‘devourers’ is worse, as you run around mashing the trigger to ‘redeem’ your gloopy pursuers. It’s basically a well-meaning but tedious lecture, telling you absolutely nothing you didn’t already know. [Issue#29, p.90]

Our clubbing days may be behind us but here we can get back to cutting shapes and feeling like total badasses, even if we look like we’re dancing like an utter idiot to everyone else. Much like any good night out, then. [Issue#29, p.90]

COH3 plays out not with a bang, nor a whimper, but with an indifferent shrug. There’s very little spark for something with so many explosions. [Issue#29, p.88]

A snappy length means the horror of The Bunker’s pitch-black darkness and wandering monster mostly don’t overstay their welcome. [Issue#29, p.84]